TGRM1@NIU.BITNET (Gordon Meyer) (06/08/89)
A virus-l writer recently asked about viruses being spread, on purpose, by software manufacturers. While I would like to think this isn't happening, there is evidence to the contrary. Dave Small, developer of the Magic Sac and Spectre 128 (two products that allow the Atari ST/Mega to emulate a Macintosh), has indicated that some developers might be introducing viruses as a means to fight software piracy. It's a simple premise. The developer "releases" a beta version of his program that is clearly labeled as being pirated. (A big "CRACKED BY CAPTAIN CROOK" will do it.) So far these programs have not been aimed at individual pirates per se, but rather the pirate bulleting board systems. When run they introduce a virus that waits for a future date (long enough to allow the program to be circulated in the pirate community) before going into action. Usually it looks for specific BBS files...if it finds them it starts to slowly corrupt the FAT table on the hard drive. Small has suggested that other "revenge" techniques are possible such as burning out the Atari color monitor by forcing the hardware into monochrome mode. I'm sure there are other possibilities as well. This information it taken from an article by Small, published in _Current Notes_. (August 1988) Any errors in the above summary should be blamed on me, not him. -=->G<-=- PS: Small didn't name any specific programs, but I know that a French game, "Manhattan Dealer", was known to contain a virus in it's pirated form. - -------------------------------------------------------------------- | Gordon R. Meyer, Northern Illinois University, Dept of Sociology | | GEnie: GRMEYER, CIS: 72307,1502, Phone: (815) 753-0555 | | Bitnet: Tee-Kay-Zero-Gee-Are-Em-One AT Enn-Eye-You.bitnet | |------------------------------------------------------------------| |------------------------------------------------------------------| | Disclaimer? Grad students don't need 'em! | |__________________________________________________________________|