Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!jarthur!polyslo!vlsi3b15!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: woody@rpp386.cactus.org (Woodrow Baker) Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: Re: WDEF in Toronto (MAC) Message-ID: <0012.9002121947.AA15751@ge.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 9 Feb 90 02:29:05 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion List Lines: 19 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu ADAMS@HUMBER.BITNET (Kevin Adams) writes: > > >From the reports I've read NVIR and WDEF both have no malicious > intent, and that any damage they cause are 'side effects'. Is this > accurate? > > It seems very strange to me that Virus writers would launch > their missiles with no payload... Not really, Perhaps they are 1. General test cases to see how effective an attack method is 2. A somewhat responsible virus writer, who likes the chllenge but would not want to cause damage. 3. Someone who stood a chance f getting discovered, and figured that if it was a benign virus, the legal troubles would be less. All of the above would be valid reasons not to make it lethal... Cheers Woody