Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!rutgers!att!cbnewsj!rcd From: rcd@cbnewsj.ATT.COM (rana.c.dutt) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: Virus on Wordup v2.0 Disks Summary: Key Virus on Wordup 2.0 disks Message-ID: <1097@cbnewsj.ATT.COM> Date: 2 Oct 89 16:19:44 GMT References: <6583@ttidca.TTI.COM> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories Lines: 32 In article <6583@ttidca.TTI.COM>, woodside@ttidca.TTI.COM (George Woodside) writes: > NEOCEPT has released an announcement regarding a virus on some copies > of their version 2.0 release disks, a portion of which is reproduced here: > [Neocept's announcment deleted] > I must raise some objection to portions of this announcement. > > I will withhold comments about the responsibility of software publishers > regarding checking releases for viruses. I must, however, voice strong > protests at their attempts to downplay the significance of this event. > > While I have not yet received an exact copy of the virus, it has been > identified as the "KEY", "TYPE 1", or "SIGNUM BPL" virus, depending upon the > anti-virus software you favor. I have confirmed the presence of the KEY virus on all three of my Wordup 2.0 disks shipped to me by Neocept. I used George Woodside's excellent "Virus Killer" program to detect and then eradicate this virus from my disks. Others who have received Wordup 2.0 should do the same. Virus Killer was posted on comp.binaries.atari.st recently. I'd like to applaud George Woodside for his exceptional public service in a) warning us about this virus (I'd never have suspected that a COMMERCIAL software distribution would contain one); b) disseminating accurate information on it; and c) providing a utility which destroys this and other viruses. Question: will this virus write to the boot sector on my hard disk as well? If so, how can I detect it? (I noticed that Virus Killer only checks and fixes floppy disks.) Thanks very much. Rana Dutt rcd@mtqua.att.com