Table of Contents
*****************

        Part 1
        ------

        (1)     I have a virus - what do I do?
        (2)     Minimal glossary
        (3)     What is a virus (Trojan, Worm)?
        (4)     How do viruses work?
        (5)     How do viruses spread?
        (6)     How can I avoid infection?
        (7)     How does antivirus software work?

        Part 2
        ------

        (8)     What's the best anti-virus software
                      (and where do I get it)?
        (9)     Where can I get further information?
        (10)    Does anyone know about
                * Mac viruses?
                * UNIX viruses?
                * macro viruses?
                * the AOLGold virus?
                * the PKZip300 trojan virus?
                * the xyz PC virus?
                * the Psychic Neon Buddha Jesus virus?
                * the blem wit virus
		* The Irina Virus
		* Ghost
		* General Info on Hoaxes/Erroneous Alerts
        (11)    Is it true that...?
        (12)    Favourite myths
                * DOS file attributes protect executable files from
                  infection
                * I'm safe from viruses because I don't use bulletin
                  boards/shareware/Public Domain software
                * FDISK /MBR fixes boot sector viruses
                * Write-protecting suspect floppies stops infection
                * The write-protect tab always stops a disk write
                * I can infect my system by running DIR on an infected
                  disk
        Part 3
        ------

        (13) What are the legal implications of computer viruses?

        Part 4
        ------

        (14)    Miscellaneous

        Are there anti-virus packages which check zipped/archived files?
        What's the genb/genp virus?
        Where do I get VCL and an assembler, & what's the password?
        Send me a virus.
        It said in a review......
        Is it viruses, virii or what?
        Where is alt.comp.virus archived?
        What about firewalls?
        Viruses on CD-ROM.
        Removing viruses.
        Can't viruses sometimes be useful?
        Do I have a virus, and how do I know?
        What should be on a (clean) boot disk?
        How do I know I have a clean boot disk?
        What other tools might I need?
        What are rescue disks?
        Are there CMOS viruses?
        How do I know I'm FTP-ing 'good' software?
        What is 386SPART.PAR?
        Can I get a virus to test my antivirus package with?
        When I do DIR | MORE I see a couple of files with funny names...
        Reasons NOT to use FDISK /MBR
        Why do people write/distribute viruses?
        Where can I get an anti-virus policy?
        Are there virus damage statistics?
        What is ICSA approval?
	What language should I write a virus in?
	No, seriously, what language are they written in?
	[DRD], Doren Rosenthal, the Universe and Everything
	What are CARO and EICAR?

- -------------------------------------------------------------------------

(1) I have a virus problem - what do I do?
==========================================

The following guidelines will, one hopes, be of assistance. However,
you may get better use out of them if you read the rest of this
document before acting rashly...

If you think you may have a virus infection, *stay calm*. Once
detected, a virus will rarely cause (further) damage, but a
panic action might. Bear in mind that not every one who thinks s/he
has a virus actually does (and a well-documented, treatable virus
might be preferable to some problems!). Reformatting your hard disk
is almost certainly unnecessary and very probably won't kill the
virus.

If you've been told you have something exotic, consider the
possibility of a false alarm and check with a different package.

If you have a good antivirus package, use it. Better still, use more
than one. If there's a problem with the package, use the publisher's
tech support and/or try an alternative package. If you don't have a
package, get one (see section on sources below). If you're using
Microsoft's package (MSAV) get something less out-of-date.

Follow the guidelines below as far as is practicable and applicable
to your situation.

Try to get expert help *before* you do anything else. If the problem
is in your office rather than at home there may be someone whose job
includes responsibility for dealing with virus incidents.

Follow the guidelines below as far as is practicable and applicable.

* Do not attempt to continue to work with an infected system, or let
  other people do so.
* Generally, it's considered preferable to switch an infected
  system off until a competent person can deal with it: don't allow
  other people to use it in the meantime. If possible, close down
  applications, Windows etc. properly and allow any caches/buffers
  to flush, rather than just hit the power switch.
* If you have the means of checking other office machines for
  infection, you should do so and take appropriate steps if an
  infection is found.
* If you are unable to check other machines, assume that all
  machines are infected and take all possible steps to avoid
  spreading infection any further.
* If there are still uninfected systems in the locality, don't use
  floppy disks on them [except known clean write-protected DOS boot
  floppies]
* users of infected machines should not *under any circumstances *
  trade disks with others until their systems and disks are cleaned.
* if the infected system is connected to a Novell network, Appleshare
  etc., it should be logged off all remote machines unless someone
  knowledgeable says different. If you're not sure how to do this,
  contact whoever is responsible for the administration of the
  network. You should in any case ensure that the network administrator
  or other responsible and knowledgeable individual is fully aware of
  the situation.
* No files should be exchanged between machines by any other means
  until it's established that this can be done safely.
* Ensure that all people in your office and anyone else at risk are
  aware of the situation.
* Get *all* floppy disks together for checking and check every one.
  This includes write-protected floppies and program master disks.
  Check all backups too (on tape or file servers as well as on floppy).


(2) Minimal Glossary
====================

[There is room for improvement and expansion here. Contributions
will be gratefully accepted.]

* AV   - AntiVirus. Sometimes applied as a shorthand term for
         anti-virus researchers/programmers/publishers - may include
         those whose work is not AV research, but includes
         virus-control. (See also Vx.)
* BSI  - Boot Sector Infector (= BSV - Boot Sector Virus)
* BIOS - Basic Input Output System
* CMOS - Memory used to store hardware configuration information
* DBR  - DOS Boot Record
* DBS  - DOS Boot Sector

* False Positive - When an antivirus program incorrectly reports a
                   virus in memory or infecting a file or system area.
                   Heuristic scanners & integrity checkers are, by
                   definition, somewhat more prone to these. Also known
                   as false alarms, though this may have a wider
                   application.
* False Negative - Essentially, a virus undetected by an antivirus
                   program.
* In-the-wild    - describes viruses known to be spreading
                   uncontrolled to real-life systems, as opposed to
                   those which exist only in controlled situations
                   such as anti-virus research labs. Virus code
                   which has been published but not actually found
                   spreading out of control is not usually regarded
                   as being in-the-wild.
* MBR  - Master Boot Record (Partition Sector)
* TSR  - A memory-resident DOS program, i.e one which remains in
         memory while other programs are running. A good TSR should
         at least detect all known in-the-wild viruses and a good
         percentage of other known viruses. Generally, TSRs are not
         so good with polymorphic viruses, and should not be relied on
         exclusively. Most TSR scanners don't detect macro viruses.
* vx   - Those who study, exchange and write viruses, not necessarily
         with malicious intentions So we're frequently told here...
* VxD  - A Windows program which can run in the background. A scanner
         implemented as a VxD has nearly all the advantages of a DOS TSR,
         but can have additional advantages: for instance, a good VxD
         will scan continuously *and* for all the viruses detected by an
         on-demand scanner.
* Zoo  - suite of viruses used for testing.

See the comp.virus FAQ for fuller definitions of some of these terms and
others which aren't addressed here.

(3) What is a virus (and what are Trojans and Worms)?
=====================================================

A (computer) virus is a program (a block of executable code) which
attaches itself to, overwrites or otherwise replaces another program
in order to reproduce itself without the knowledge of the PC user.

Most viruses are comparatively harmless, and may be present for
years with no noticeable effect: some, however, may cause random
damage to data files (sometimes insidiously, over a long period)
or attempt to destroy files and disks. Others cause unintended
damage. Even benign viruses (apparently non-destructive viruses)
cause significant damage by occupying disk space and/or main
memory, by using up CPU processing time, and by the time and expense
wasted in detecting and removing them.

A Trojan Horse is a program intended to perform some covert
and usually malicious act which the victim did not expect or want.
It differs from a destructive virus in that it doesn't reproduce,
(though this distinction is by no means universally accepted).

A dropper is a program which installs a virus or Trojan, often
covertly.

A worm is a program which spreads (usually) over network
connections. Unlike a virus, it does not attach itself to a
host program. In practice, worms are not normally associated
with personal computer systems. There is an excellent
and considerably longer definition in the Mk. 2 version of the
Virus-L FAQ.

(The following is a slightly academic diversion)

A lot of bandwidth is spent on precise definitions of some of
the terms above. I have Fridrik Skulason's permission to include
the following definition of a virus, which I like because it
demonstrates most of the relevant issues.

     #1 A virus is a program that is able to replicate - that is, create
        (possibly modified) copies of itself.

     #2 The replication is intentional, not just a side-effect.

     #3 At least some of the replicants are also viruses, by this
        definition.

     #4 A virus has to attach itself to a host, in the sense that execution
        of the host implies execution of the virus.
  --
  #1 is the main definition, which distinguishes between viruses and Trojans
  and other non-replicating malware.

  #2 is necessary to exclude for example a disk-copying program copying a
  disk, which contains a copy of itself.

  #3 is necessary to exclude "intended" not-quite-viruses.

  #4 is necessary to exclude "worms", but at the same time it has to be
broad
  enough to include companion viruses and .DOC viruses.

(4) How do viruses work?
========================

A file virus attaches itself to a file (but see the section below
or the comp.virus FAQ on the subject of companion viruses), usually
an executable application (e.g. a word processing program or a DOS
program). In general, file viruses don't infect data files. However,
data files can contain embedded executable code such as macros, which
may be used by virus or trojan writers. Recent versions of Microsoft
Word are particularly vulnerable to this kind of threat. Text files
such as batch files, postscript files, and source code which contain
commands that can be compiled or interpreted by another program are
potential targets for malware (malicious software), though such malware
is not at present common.

Boot sector viruses alter the program that is in the first sector
(boot sector) of every DOS-formatted disk. Generally, a boot
sector infector executes its own code (which usually infects the boot
sector or partition sector of the hard disk), then continues the PC
bootup (start-up) process. In most cases, all write-enabled floppies
used on that PC from then on will become infected.

Multipartite viruses have some of the features of both the above
types of virus. Typically, when an infected *file* is executed, it
infects the hard disk boot sector or partition sector, and thus
infects subsequent floppies used or formatted on the target system.

Macro viruses typically infect global settings files such as Word
templates so that subsequently edited documents are contaminated
with the infective macros.

The following virus types are more fully defined in the
comp.virus FAQs (see preamble):

* STEALTH VIRUSES - viruses that go to some length to
  conceal their presence from programs which might notice.
* POLYMORPHIC VIRUSES - viruses that cannot be detected by
  searching for a simple, single sequence of bytes in a
  possibly-infected file, since they change with every
  replication.
* COMPANION VIRUSES - viruses that spread via a file which
  runs instead of the file the user intended to run, and
  then runs the original file. For instance, the file
  MYAPP.EXE might be 'infected' by creating a file called
  MYAPP.COM. Because of the way DOS works, when the user
  types MYAPP at the C> prompt, MYAPP.COM is run instead of
  MYAPP.EXE. MYAPP.COM runs its infective routine, then
  quietly executes MYAPP.EXE. N.B. this is not the *only*
  type of companion (or 'spawning') virus.
* ARMOURED VIRUSES - viruses that are specifically written
  to make it difficult for an antivirus researcher to find
  out how they work and what they do.

(5) How do viruses spread?
==========================

A PC is infected with a boot sector virus (or partition sector
virus) if it is (re-)booted (usually by accident) from an infected
floppy disk in drive A. Boot Sector/MBR infectors are the most
commonly found viruses, and cannot normally spread across a network.
These (normally) spread by accident via floppy disks which may come
from virtually any source: unsolicited demonstration disks,
brand-new software (even from reputable sources), disks used on
your PC by salesmen or engineers, new hardware, or repaired hardware.

A file virus infects other files when the program to which it is
attached is run, and so *can* spread across a network (often very
quickly). They may be spread from the same sources as boot sector
viruses, but also from sources such as Internet FTP sites and
bulletin boards. (This applies also to Trojan Horses.)

A multipartite virus infects boot sectors *and* files. Often,
an infected file is used to infect the boot sector: thus, this is
one case where a boot sector infector could spread across a network.


(6) How can I avoid infection?
==============================

There is no way to guarantee that you will avoid infection. However,
the potential damage can be minimized by taking the following
precautions:

* make sure you have a clean boot disk - test with whatever (up-to-date!)
  antivirus  software you can get hold of and make sure it is (and stays)
  write-protected. Boot from it and make a couple of copies.
* use reputable, up-to-date and properly-installed anti-virus
  software regularly. (See below) If you use a shareware package
  for which payment and/or registration is required, do it. Not only
  does it encourage the writer and make you feel virtuous, it means
  you can legitimately ask for technical support in a crisis.
* do some reading (see below). If you're a home user, you may well
  get an infection sooner or later. If you're a business user, it'll
  be sooner. Either way you'll benefit from a little background.
  If you're a business user you (or your enterprise) need a policy.
* don't rely *solely* on newsgroups like this to get you out of
  trouble: it may be a while before you get a response (especially
  from a moderated group like comp.virus), and the first response
  you act upon may not offer the most appropriate advice for your
  particular problem.
* if you use a shareware/freeware package, make sure you have hard
  copy of the documentation *before* your system falls apart!
* always run a memory-resident scanner to monitor disk access and
  executable files before they're run.
* if you run Windows, a reputable anti-virus package which includes
  DOS *and* Windows components is likely to offer better protection
  than a DOS only package. If you run Windows 95, you need a proper
  Win95 32-bit package for full protection.
* make sure your home system is protected, as well as your work PC.
* check all new systems and all floppy disks when they're brought
  in (from *any* source) with a good virus-scanning program.
* acquire software from reputable sources: 2nd-hand software is
  frequently unchecked and sometimes infected. Bear in mind that
  shrinkwrapped software isn't necessarily unused. In any case,
  reputable firms have shipped viruses unknowingly.
* once formatted, keep floppies write-disabled except when you need
  to write a file to them: then write-disable them again.
* make sure your data is backed up regularly and that the procedures
  for restoring archived data *work* properly.
* scan pre-formatted diskettes before use.
* Get to know all the components of the package you're using and
  consider which bits to use and how best to use them. Different
  packages have different strengths: diversifying and mixing and
  matching can, if carefully and properly done, be a good antivirus
  strategy, especially in a corporate environment
* if your PC can be prevented with a CMOS setting from booting with a
  disk in drive A, do it (and re-enable floppy booting temporarily when
  you need to clean-boot).

CMOS settings
- -------------

Some CMOSes come with special anti-virus settings.  These are normally
vague about what they do but typically they write-protect your hard
disk's boot sector and partition sector (MBR).  This can be some use
against boot sector viruses but may false alarm when you upgrade your
operating system.

One sensible setting to make (if your CMOS allows) is to adjust the
boot sequence of your PC.  Changing the default boot-up drive order
from  A: C: to C: will mean that the PC will attempt to boot from drive
C: even if a floppy disk has been left in drive A:.  This way boot
sector virus infection can often be avoided.  Remember, however, to set
your CMOS back temporarily if you ever *do* want to boot clean from
floppy (for example, when running a cryptographical checksummer
after a cold boot).

SCSI controllers have their own BIOS. On some systems, this will
override the boot sequence set in CMOS. It's always a good idea
to check with a (known clean) bootable floppy after you've
disabled floppy booting that it really is disabled. I don't think
it's necessary to use the Rosenthal Simulator to do this, thank
you, Doren.

(7) How does antivirus software work?
- -------------------------------------

* Scanner (conventional scanner, command-line scanner, on-demand
  scanner) - a program that looks for known viruses by checking for
  recognisable patterns ('scan strings', 'search strings',
  'signatures' [a term best avoided for its ambiguity]).
* TSR scanner - a TSR (memory-resident program) that checks for
  viruses while other programs are running. It may have some of
  the characteristics of a monitor and/or behaviour blocker.
* VxD scanner - a scanner that works under Windows or perhaps under
  Win 95, or both), which checks for viruses continuously while
  you work.
* Heuristic scanners - scanners that inspect executable files for
  code using operations that might denote an unknown virus.
* Monitor/Behaviour Blocker - a TSR that monitors programs while
  they are running for behaviour which might denote a virus.
* Change Detectors/Checksummers/Integrity Checkers - programs that
  keep a database of the characteristics of all executable files on
  a system and check for changes which might signify an attack by
  an unknown virus.
* Cryptographic Checksummers use an encryption algorithm to lessen
  the risk of being fooled by a virus which targets that particular
  checksummer.

- ---------------------------------------------------------------------

End of a.c.v. FAQ Part 1 of 4