[comp.sys.mac] Virus thought

stel@tank.uchicago.edu (stelios valavanis) (06/22/89)

With all this talk about this virus and that virus eliminator, and
with this resource that some curing progs put into the sys to prevent
virus, I got to thinking (dangerous).  Couldn't a virus call itself by
the name of this friendly anti-virus resource replacing the good one
if it is there?  For that metter, couldn't a virus replace any good
resource anywhere with itself (naming itself with the benign name of
course)?  Do I understand what's going on?  Has anybody thought of
this?  I hope so.  I don't want to open Pandora's box!
stel
-- 
Bitnet:	stel%tank.uchicago.edu@uchimvs1.bitnet | i don't know
Internet: 		stel@tank.uchicago.edu | YOU don't know?
uucp:	     ...!uunet!mimsy!oddjob!tank!stel  | ok, so i don't know

lipa@polya.Stanford.EDU (William J. Lipa) (06/23/89)

In article <4018@tank.uchicago.edu> stel@tank.uchicago.edu (stelios  valavanis) writes:
>With all this talk about this virus and that virus eliminator, and
>with this resource that some curing progs put into the sys to prevent
>virus, I got to thinking (dangerous).  Couldn't a virus call itself by
>the name of this friendly anti-virus resource replacing the good one
>if it is there?

Probably not. The "friendly" nVIR resource installed by KillVirus has size 0,
so anti-virus programs can specifically check whether the resource is friendly
or hostile by examining the size.

Bill