[comp.sys.ibm.pc] New? Virus

davis@udel.EDU (Michael Davis) (03/28/89)

Has anyone ran across a "virus" that consists of a hidden dir called INDEX
that has subdirectories named DELETED containing still, files call
DELETED.xxx where xxx are hex numbers?  When the files are deleted,
a new DELETED subdir is created with more files!!! It's happening on
my prof's machine at home in his directory filled with NCSA TELNET 
distributions and such.  They were obtained using FTP Software mgets,
but I don't know from where.

Thanks for any info or help
mike

vlruo02@dutrun.UUCP (Ge van Geldorp) (03/29/89)

In article <11758@louie.udel.EDU> davis@udel.EDU (Michael Davis) writes:
>Has anyone ran across a "virus" that consists of a hidden dir called INDEX
>that has subdirectories named DELETED containing still, files call
>DELETED.xxx where xxx are hex numbers?  When the files are deleted,
>a new DELETED subdir is created with more files!!! It's happening on
>my prof's machine at home

Sounds like your prof is using the Microsoft Editor (M.EXE). In the
default configuration, this editor will save backup copies of the files
edited in a hidden subdirectory named DELETED. The INDEX you mention is
not a subdirectory but a file in the hidden subdirectory DELETED.
If you want to get rid of the files in the DELETED subdirectory use the
EXP.EXE program which comes with the Microsoft Editor.

Ge van Geldorp.
(...uunet!mcvax!hp4nl!dutrun!vlruo02)

len@rufus. (Len Evens) (03/29/89)

|In article <676@dutrun.UUCP> vlruo02@dutrun.UUCP (G.v.Geldorp) writes:
|>In article <11758@louie.udel.EDU> davis@udel.EDU (Michael Davis) writes:
|>>Has anyone ran across a "virus" that consists of a hidden dir called INDEX
|>
|>Sounds like your prof is using the Microsoft Editor (M.EXE). In the
|>default configuration, this editor will save backup copies of the files
|>edited in a hidden subdirectory named DELETED. The INDEX you mention is
|>not a subdirectory but a file in the hidden subdirectory DELETED.
|>If you want to get rid of the files in the DELETED subdirectory use the
|>EXP.EXE program which comes with the Microsoft Editor.
|>
|>Ge van Geldorp.

I also managed to produce the same collection of hidden directories and
files as an indirect result of installing the Microsoft
C compiler.  I forget exactly what I did,
but somehow a program called rm.exe got on my disk.   This
program saved deleted files by moving them to a hidden directory from
which they could be recovered. I was using a memory resident
shell in which I had defined some common unix equivalents for DOS commands
including `rm' for `del', but the new rm.exe took precedence and I
started filling up my disk with copies of files I thought I had deleted.

Leonard Evens                      len@math.nwu.edu
Department of Mathematics 
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL 60208
312-491-5537

wjc@sppy00.UUCP (William J. Curry) (03/30/89)

In article <676@dutrun.UUCP> vlruo02@dutrun.UUCP (G.v.Geldorp) writes:
>In article <11758@louie.udel.EDU> davis@udel.EDU (Michael Davis) writes:
>>Has anyone ran across a "virus" that consists of a hidden dir called INDEX
>>that has subdirectories named DELETED containing still, files call
>>DELETED.xxx where xxx are hex numbers? ... 
>
>Sounds like your prof is using the Microsoft Editor (M.EXE). ... 
>... this editor will save backup copies of the files edited in a hidden
>subdirectory named DELETED. The INDEX you mention is not a subdirectory
>but a file in the hidden subdirectory DELETED.
>If you want to get rid of the files in the DELETED subdirectory use the
>EXP.EXE program which comes with the Microsoft Editor.
>...

In addition, the Microsoft editor comes with a program RM.EXE which, if
mistakenly used instead of the MKS RM.EXE (or others), will also create
a hidden directory called DELETED with these files.  In addition, I seem
to recall that the Watcom C Compiler does something similar to this.  I 
do not use the Watcom compiler, though, so I am not sure on this.
Maybe someone who uses the Watcom compiler could respond on this issue.

Hope it helps!

-Bill

-- 
William Curry 	UUCP:wjc@sppy00.UUCP, or {seismo|cbosgd}!osu-cis!sppy00!wjc
		bitnet:  wjc@oclcrsun
OCLC = Online Computer Library Center                "Services for Libraries"
Snail: 6565 Frantz Road  Dublin, Ohio 43017-0702                614-761-5031

jcmorris@mbunix.mitre.org (Joseph C. Morris) (03/31/89)

In article <11758@louie.udel.EDU> davis@udel.EDU (Michael Davis) writes:
>Has anyone ran across a "virus" that consists of a hidden dir called INDEX
>that has subdirectories named DELETED containing still, files call
>DELETED.xxx where xxx are hex numbers?  

Are you sure that the machine doesn't have one of these TSR's which 
protects you from accidentally deleting a file?  What they do is to
save the "deleted" file for _n_ days, usually in a hidden directory.
If you accidentally delete a file, it can recover it by un-renaming 
the original file.  Check the AUTOEXEC.BAT and maybe CONFIG.SYS for
an invocation of some such program.  Good luck.

garyc@dbase.UUCP (Gary Carter) (04/09/89)

In article <47106@linus.UUCP> jcmorris@mbunix (Morris) writes:
>In article <11758@louie.udel.EDU> davis@udel.EDU (Michael Davis) writes:
>>Has anyone ran across a "virus" that consists of a hidden dir called INDEX
>>that has subdirectories named DELETED containing still, files call
>>DELETED.xxx where xxx are hex numbers?  

The Microsoft Editor supplied with their C compiler and assembler products
(runs on both DOS and OS/2) creates a hidden DELETED directory with INDEX
and DELETED.xxx in it which are backups of edited files.  These can be
listed and recovered using the undel.exe program that comes with it.