Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!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: Idea for WDEF Innoculation (Mac)
Message-ID: <0013.9002121947.AA15751@ge.sei.cmu.edu>
Date: 9 Feb 90 02:33:21 GMT
Sender: Virus Discussion List <VIRUS-L@IBM1.CC.Lehigh.EDU>
Lines: 23
Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu

jg3o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Jason Ari Goldstein) writes:
> Just like everywhere else the WDEF is thriving here at Carnegie-Mellon
> Univ.  I recently removed WDEF A & B off of 15 disks of a friend of
> mine.  When I commented to somone here about the virus they said there
> was nothing they could do to stop it, except remove it once a machine
> got infected.
>
> I don't know much about Macs (Being a PC person) but if I understand
> correctly every time the disk is inserted the they Virus is sread to
> the disk.  Well, why doesn't someone write an innoculation directly
> based on the virus itself.  Everytime a disk is inserted in the drive
> it would be checked for infection if so it would remove WDEF if not it
> would then 'innoculate the disk' with itself.  Eventually, WDEF would
> be wiped out the same way it was spread initially.

This is the first *really* sane Idea that I have seen, about
combatting viri.  The checkers and clearers are fine, but this type of
'virus' would be a good thing.  Provided it is safegarded so that IT
can't be infected.....

Cheers

Woody