VIRUS-L Digest Tuesday, 13 Dec 1988 Volume 1 : Issue 44
Today's Topics:
emergency messages
more on modem virus
low level format
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Date: Mon, 12 Dec 88 22:26:42 CDT
From: Len Levine <
[email protected]>
Subject: emergency messages
>** OVERFLOW ** OVERFLOW ** OVERFLOW ** OVERFLOW ** OVERFLOW ** TILT **
>I'm facing a dilemma that may be troubling other readers of this llist
>as well: the list contents is getting just too voluminous (not to say
>repetitious at times) and I just don't have time to wade through it all
> [...]
Why not send such emergency messages with a different caption than is
normally used in this collection. That way a normal reader can look
at the messages when s/he has time, and read the alarms when they come
up.
+ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
| Leonard P. Levine e-mail
[email protected] |
| Professor, Computer Science Office (414) 229-5170 |
| University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Home (414) 962-4719 |
| Milwaukee, WI 53201 U.S.A. Modem (414) 962-6228 |
+ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - +
[Ed. Hopefully, this problem has been taken care of with VALERT-L...]
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Date: Mon, 12 Dec 88 22:02 EST
From: <LACUREJ@IUBACS>
Subject: more on modem virus
A report of the so-called modem virus was posted to a local BBS here
in Bloomington, Indiana, about a month ago. I know nothing about
sub-carriers on 2400 baud modems, but I found the idea of a virus
inhabiting the registers of a modem to be so fantastic that I
dismissed the report as nothing more than a prank. Below is a copy of
the first message in the report, it was followed by a series of
messages as the virus allegedly spread through Washington State.
Jon LaCure
Indiana University
lacurej@iubacs
Report:
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thd on a Seattle board. Looks like a really
bad virus is out now. TC
- -------------------------------------------------------------------- a
#1153 OF 1165 TIME: TUE 10-04-88 03:17:41 FROM: MIKE ROCHENLE TO: ALL
SUBJ: Really nasty virus
AREA: GENERAL (1)
I've just discovered probably the world's worst computer virus yet.
I had just finished a late night session of BBS'ing and file trading
when I exited Telix 3 and attempted to run pkxarc to unarc the
software I had downloaded. Next thing I knew my hard disk was seeking
all over and it was apparantly writing random sectors. Thank god for
strong coffee and a recent backup. Everything was back to normal, so
I called the BBS again and downloaded a file. When I went to use ddir
to list the directory, my hard disk was getting trashed agaion. I
tried Procomm Plus TD and also PC Talk 3. Same results every time.
Something was up so I hooked up my test equipment and different modems
(I do research and developmentis the world's worst
computer virus yet. The virus distributes itself on the modem
sub-carrier present in all 2400 baud and up modems. The sub-carrier
is used for ROM and register debugging purposes only, and otherwise
serves no othr purpose. The virus sets a bit pattern in one of the
internal modem registers, but it seemed to screw up the other
registers on my USR. A modem that has been "infected" with this virus
will then transmit the virus to other modems that use a subcarrier (I
suppose those who use 300 and 1200 baud modems should be immune). The
virus then attaches itself to all binary incoming data and infects the
host computer's hard disk. The only way to get rid of the virus is to
completely reset all the modem registers by hand, but I haven't found
a way to vaccinate a modem against the virus, but there is the
possibility of building a subcarrier filter. I am calling on a 1200
baud modem to enter this message, and have advised the sysops of the
two otherly the best thing to
do now is to stick to 1200 baud until we figure this thing out.
Mike RoChenle
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Date: Tue, 13 Dec 88 03:50:23 EST
From: "Homer W. Smith" <CTM@CORNELLC>
Subject: low level format
Thank you all for responding how to do a low level format
of my PC. I have suspected it for a long time for minor
misbehaviors and I doubt it is a virus, but you neverknow.
I have used a software disk from DAK with bulliten board stuff
on it, so who knows how infected I am.
Anyhow, most that responsded said the low level format would
handle everything for me. One though said that I had to know where
the hard disk errors were and feed them to the low level format
program as it prompted me for them. They said these hard errors
were written on some tag on the disk itself.
Asking others about this, they said no way, the program would
just do it and find all t the dos manual at all about it.
So the more specific you are the better.
Respond if you want to ctm@cornellc.
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