[comp.sys.mac.programmer] ALERT about VIRUS in vendor-distributed product

CAH0@bunny.gte.com (Chuck Hoffman) (06/01/90)

   On May 25, I received the Diskworld diskette for May from Softdisk 
Publishing in Shreveport, Louisiana.  I run Virex 2.6 (among others) which 
intercepted the mount of the diskette and gave me a warning that the 
diskette has a known strain of the WDEF virus.  Naturally, I chose the 
"Eject" option of Virex, so the mount never was completed.
   WDEF is simple, but difficult.  Simple in that it lives in the 
invisible desktop file of each disk or diskette.  So it can be eliminated 
by rebuilding the desktop file by holding down the command and option keys 
during the mount (or during startup, for an internal hard disk or SCSI).  
Difficult for the same reason.  The gurus tell us that, if you are unaware 
of the virus, by the time you see the diskette icon on your desktop 
display, ALL the other disks (including internal and attached SCSI) will 
already have been infected.  I did a controlled experiment of my own a few 
months ago, and found that this was true.
   I called Softdisk Publishing to report my experience, and spoke with a 
woman who said they already knew of the virus problem.  She suggested that 
I simply reinsert the disk while holding down the command and option keys 
to rebuild the desktop file, but I asked her to send me a clean copy of 
the diskette instead.
   Lesson?  "Doesn't matter if the box is snazzy.  Use virus detectors to 
protect your azzy."
-Chuck


- Chuck Hoffman, GTE Laboratories, Inc.
cah0@bunny.gte.com
Telephone (U.S.A.) 617-466-2131
GTE VoiceNet: 679-2131
GTE Telemail: C.HOFFMAN