Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!ginosko!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!polyslo!vlsi3b15!vax1.cc.lehigh.edu!sei.cmu.edu!krvw From: bnr-di!borynec@watmath.waterloo.edu (James Borynec) Newsgroups: comp.virus Subject: Re: Viruses in Commercial Software Message-ID: <0008.8910031107.AA02205@ge.sei.cmu.edu> Date: 3 Oct 89 02:23:01 GMT Sender: Virus Discussion ListLines: 34 Approved: krvw@sei.cmu.edu In article <0008.8909281133.AA14331@ge.sei.cmu.edu>, TMPLee@DOCKMASTER.ARPA wri tes: > In commenting on viruses being distributed (accidentally, of course) > through commercial software someone recently mentioned that someone > near him had been hit by a virus that was in a shrink-wrapped copy of > WordPerfect. I'm skeptical... It happened. A co-worker bought a copy of WordPerfect for his Amiga. When it came to him, it was infected. Those are the facts as he told them to me. If anyone wants more details I am willing to supply them. It probably won't do any good because the problem has been fixed. If anyone is collecting historical information and wants more details send E-mail. (BTW. to the person who sent me E-mail on this topic, did my reply get through to you?) The story behind this goes something like: WP sold the distribution and support rights for the Amiga version of WP for Canada to a company in Ontario. That company had some problems. That company no longer has the redistribution rights. I personally have been hit TWICE by viruses in commercial software. From different vendors. Once when I was examining a popular speech synthesis package for my Mac, and once when we got our TI micro-explorer. Just the thing, factory loaded viruses. To summarize: It happens. Treat ALL software entering your system with caution. James Borynec - -- UUCP : utzoo!bnr-vpa!bnr-di!borynec James Borynec, Bell Northern Research Bitnet: borynec@bnr.CA Box 3511, Stn C, Ottawa, Ontario K1Y 4H7