msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) (06/09/88)
Recently a file called PK36.EXE with a size of 118K has appeared on a
BBS near me. Is this really a new version of PKARC/PKXARC? Is this a
Trojan or virus?
Please post your answer so that a warning/verification can reach as
far as possible.
Mark
--
Mark Smith (alias Smitty) "Be careful when looking into the distance,
61 Tenafly Road that you do not miss what is right under your nose."
Tenafly, NJ 07670 {backbone}!rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!msmith
msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu Bill and Opus in '88!!!pre1@sphinx.uchicago.edu (Grant Prellwitz) (06/10/88)
In article <Jun.9.12.25.21.1988.4600@topaz.rutgers.edu> msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) writes: >Recently a file called PK36.EXE with a size of 118K has appeared on a >BBS near me. Is this really a new version of PKARC/PKXARC? Is this a >Trojan or virus? > >Please post your answer so that a warning/verification can reach as >far as possible. > >Mark > >-- >Mark Smith (alias Smitty) "Be careful when looking into the distance, >61 Tenafly Road that you do not miss what is right under your nose." >Tenafly, NJ 07670 {backbone}!rutgers!topaz.rutgers.edu!msmith >msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu Bill and Opus in '88!!! I recently (last night, actually), downloaded PK36.ARC from a local BBS, put it on my 2 floppy PC compatible, and ran it (yes, I'm always this suspicious with .EXE files). I found that it was just what it claimed to be: version 3.6 of the PK(X)ARC programs. I ran it on a couple of ARC's, and it appears to be fine. Note that I have NOT tested it for Virus activity, but at least it doesn't seem to be a Trojan. I noticed that Keith Peterson said he got a copy from Katz' BBS and was posting it to c.b.i.p. It appears to have a couple of new features, including adding a built-in "more" utility for verbose listing and un-arc to screen, a number of variations on the Move command, and supposedly improved printer handling (I haven't checked it out). Note that the files are now EXE files (they used to be COM), so you have to delete the old files or they will be run instead of the new ones. I posted this as requested because I think that Mark was rightfully cautious and I wanted to be able to help alleviate some unnecessary anxiety, as well as let people know about a new version of a VERY useful (if controversial) program. Please note that you should still take care when downloading any file from a BBS, especially if it is an executable. I have exhaustively tested it for neither Trojan activity nor Virus activity (my English teacher would have marked that sentence "awkward"). -- =====================Grant Prellwitz========================== !ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!pre1 pre1@sphinx.UChicago.edu 76474,2121 (CIS) G.PRELLWITZ (GEnie) pre1 (BIX) -----> contents sole responsibility of poster. <-----
tgr@picuxa.UUCP (Dr. Emilio Lizardo) (06/11/88)
In article <Jun.9.12.25.21.1988.4600@topaz.rutgers.edu> msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) writes:
:Recently a file called PK36.EXE with a size of 118K has appeared on a
:BBS near me. Is this really a new version of PKARC/PKXARC? Is this a
:Trojan or virus?
:
:Please post your answer so that a warning/verification can reach as
:far as possible.
In comp.misc (I believe) there has been a running discussion about
SEA suing PKWARE for copyright infringment. In one of the articles
posted, Keithe Peterson at Simtel mentions having gotten PK36.EXE
from Phil Katz's own BBS. It should be appearing soon in comp.binaries.
--
Tom Gillespie ( ...ihnp4!picuxa!tgr) | (attmail!tgillespie) (201) 952-1178
AT&T/EDS Product Integration Center 299 Jefferson Rd. Parsippany NJ 07054
"Don't take life so serious ... it ain't nohow permanent." -- Walt Kellyclark@ttidca.TTI.COM (Ralph Clark) (06/11/88)
Try to delete the executable part in the front, and then treat it as a .ARC.
This used to be 9758 bytes. On unix, dd if=X.EXE bs=9758 skip=1 of=X.ARC
However, if it's a legitimate new version, the exec size may have changed.
--
Ralph Clark (clark@ttidca.TTI.COM) {csun|philabs|psivax|trwrb}!ttidca!clarkjohnl@ima.ISC.COM (John R. Levine) (06/13/88)
In article <Jun.9.12.25.21.1988.4600@topaz.rutgers.edu> msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith) writes: >Recently a file called PK36.EXE with a size of 118K has appeared on a >BBS near me. Is this really a new version of PKARC/PKXARC? Is this a >Trojan or virus? It's real. I got my copy in the mail direct from PKWare, because I'm a registered user. If you're worried about trojan-ware, register the programs you care about and get your updates direct from the author. (You know, viruses could simultaneously be the best and worst things ever to happen to shareware authors.) -- John R. Levine, IECC, PO Box 349, Cambridge MA 02238-0349, +1 617 492 3869 { ihnp4 | decvax | cbosgd | harvard | yale }!ima!johnl, Levine@YALE.something Rome fell, Babylon fell, Scarsdale will have its turn. -G. B. Shaw
jio@cpsc55.ATT.COM (James Odom) (06/14/88)
From article <Jun.9.12.25.21.1988.4600@topaz.rutgers.edu>, by msmith@topaz.rutgers.edu (Mark Robert Smith): > Recently a file called PK36.EXE with a size of 118K has appeared on a > BBS near me. Is this really a new version of PKARC/PKXARC? Is this a > Trojan or virus? Phil Katz has just released version 3.6 of PKARC/PKXARC. It has been posted to several of the bulletin boards in my area in the past few days. The copy u/l to The Black Bag (303) 750-3228 was uploaded by a person who called Phil Katz to confirm the new release and d/l it from Phil's BBS. I have not had time to d/l it myself and try it out. It has also been posted to Metamorphosis (303) 772-7229 [1200/2400]. +------------------------------------------------------------------------+ |James I. Odom | |AT&T CPSC Denver, Co Voice: (303) 889-0211 | |ATTMAIL: JODOM Compuserve: 70070,137 uucp: ihnp4!cpsc55!jio | | BIX: jodom SOURCE: TCC375 | |------------------------------------------------------------------------| |Disclaimer: Any opinions expressed are my own etc. | +------------------------------------------------------------------------+