[comp.virus] Trojan Warning: SCANV70

Ralf.Brown@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU (11/01/90)

Resent-From: KPETERSEN@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL

I received the following via the DESQview echo on Fidonet.

	Ralf

From: Don Reid
To: All
Subject: TROJAN WARNING
Date: 28 Oct 90 15:37:00

I am passing the following message on for your consideration.
========================================================================
Date: 10-22-90 (10:10)           Number: 10260            Patriquin's BB
  To: ALL                        Refer#: NONE
From: KIM MARTIN                   Read: YES
Subj: NEW TROJAN DETECTED !!       Conf: (0) Main Board
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Telecommunicators,

I recently received a file called SCANV70.ZIP on The Library! BBS. This
file contains a trojan that is not detectable by the current version
of McAffees Scan program (SCANV67C.ZIP). This trojan will take out your
entire file system. I verified with McAffees bulletin board that the
most current scan was SCANV67C.ZIP. The next available release will not
be out until mid-november according to his board. I also, verified that
SCANV70.ZIP contained a trojan and that he is aware of it. Please
avoid using SCANV70 or passing it around as there is no defense for it.
The file was uploaded under a false logon. I've talked to the person
whose name it was uploaded in and he swears it wasn't him. (People,
please change your passwords and make them unique by bbs.)

Sincerely,

Kim Martin, The Library! BBS

- ---
 * Origin: Recovery BBS - San Francisco - (415) 255-2188 *HST* (1:125/9)

s37775d@taltta.hut.fi (Pandy (A. Holmberg)) (11/10/90)

	An interesting question is what the name of the next
	MacAffee Scanv will be as versions 68 & 70 (at least)
	are TROJANS!

	How can we trust this software in the future.
	On the other hand: Which applications can we
	*really* trust.
	Maybe the next release of WordPerfect is a Trojan.

	The only thing we can do is hope that the creators
	of computer viruses will either grow up or drop dead.

	/pandy

+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+
! Andreas "Pandy" Holmberg            Internet:  pandy@spiff.hut.fi        !
! Helsinki University of Technology              pandy@niksula.hut.fi      !
! Faculty of Electrical Engineering              pandy@otax.tky.hut.fi     !
! Home phone: +358-0-647177                      s37775d@taltta.hut.fi     !
! Address: Ratakatu 1 A 5                        aholmber@otax.tky.hut.fi  !
!          SF-00120 Helsinki          BBS:       MITS ( +358-0-4582066 )   !
!          FINLAND                    UUCP: ...!mcvax!santra!niksula!pandy !
+--------------------------------------------------------------------------+

keithm@ashtate.A-T.COM (Keith Mund) (11/20/90)

s37775d@taltta.hut.fi (Pandy (A. Holmberg)) writes:

>	How can we trust this software in the future.
>	On the other hand: Which applications can we
>	*really* trust.

>	The only thing we can do is hope that the creators

Speaking personally as a software author, buy software from the
manufacturer or a legitimate dealer. The same fears you have are felt
by them manyfold, and great care is taken to insure safe software.
Although you threw out names of companies freely, none of them has
distributed software with any problems. Why fear a problem that does
not exist. Viruses are spread by individuals copying software, not by
legitamate manufacturers.

Keith Mund
These are my editorial remards, not those of my employer.

aslakson@uunet.UU.NET (Brian Aslakson) (11/26/90)

keithm@ashtate.A-T.COM (Keith Mund) writes:

>Speaking personally as a software author, buy software from the
>manufacturer or a legitimate dealer. The same fears you have are felt
>by them manyfold, and great care is taken to insure safe software.
>Although you threw out names of companies freely, none of them has
>distributed software with any problems. Why fear a problem that does
>not exist. Viruses are spread by individuals copying software, not by
>legitamate manufacturers.

Sorry!  I've heard many horror stories, some in this group, about
viruses in shrink-wrapped software.  I've downloaded from dial-in
bbs's and done anonymous ftp, and yes, copied software from friends.
I've never been infected.

The only place where I've seen infections are in multiple use
environments like computer labs at Universities.  Although I haven't
seen infections from any other sources, they do exist, and I check
everything just in case.  Viruses are spread in many ways.

If you are referring to Anti-viral programs, I'm sure that they are
the most virus free programs you can find, other than something you
write yourself!  (My experience is mostly with Disinfectant,
Gatekeeper, SCAN, and F-PROT).

- --
Brian Aslakson

aslakson@cs.umn.edu
mac-admin@cs.umn.edu  <-= Macintosh related