Sorry about the total lack of britcar content, but I took notice of
the virus alert that appeared the other day. I just received this
message.
Michael Flora
NASA - Marshall Space Flight Center
Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 12:31:34 -0700 (MST)
From: Bob Garth <bgarth@protree.com>
To: Operator <root@ISAAC.msfc.nasa.gov>
Subject: Virus Hoax (fwd)
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Michael,
I totally concur the virus is a simple hoax. Attached is a
message from
a more authoritative source. Programs cause viruses, data, unless it
causes a strange error within the program, is unable to be a virus.
Program errors, can be quite distructive, however, a virus implies
the
ability to spread. Rarely, does a crashed program do that. (Being a
programmer, I have crashed alot of my own programs, but never have
they
created a real virus.)
Just thought you might like to know.
Bob Garth
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 7 Dec 1994 13:30:49 EST
From: Perry Amberson <GHSTWHL@NERVM.NERDC.UFL.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list ARCANA <ARCANA@GITVM1.GATECH.EDU>
Subject: Virus Hoax
Something fairly authoritative regarding the recent "virus" scares...
----------------------------------------------------------------------
--
U.S. DOE's Computer Incident Advisory Capability
___ __ __ _ ___ __ __ __ __ __
/ | /_\ / |\ | / \ | |_ /_
\___ __|__ / \ \___ | \| \__/ | |__ __/
Number 94-04 December
6, 1994
------------------- A - T - T - E - N - T - I - O - N
-------------------
| CIAC is available 24-hours a day via its two skypage numbers. To
use |
| this service, dial 1-800-759-7243. The PIN numbers are: 8550070
(for |
| the CIAC duty person) and 8550074 (for the CIAC manager). Please
keep |
| these numbers handy.
|
---------------------------------------------------------------------
----
Welcome to the fourth issue of CIAC Notes! This is a special edition
to
clear up recent reports of a "good times" virus-hoax. Let us know if
you
have topics you would like addressed or have feedback on what is
useful and
what is not. Please contact the editor, Allan L. Van Lehn, CIAC,
510-422-8193 or send E-mail to ciac@llnl.gov.
$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-
$
$ Reference to any specific commercial product does not necessarily
$
$ constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring
by $
$ CIAC, the University of California, or the United States
Government.$
$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-$-
$
THE "Good Times" VIRUS IS AN URBAN LEGEND
In the early part of December, CIAC started to receive information
requests
about a supposed "virus" which could be contracted via America
OnLine, simply
by reading a message. The following is the message that CIAC
received:
---------------------------------------------------------------------
------
| Here is some important information. Beware of a file called
Goodtimes. |
|
|
| Happy Chanukah everyone, and be careful out there. There is a
virus on |
| America Online being sent by E-Mail. If you get anything called
"Good |
| Times", DON'T read it or download it. It is a virus that will
erase your |
| hard drive. Forward this to all your friends. It may help them a
lot. |
---------------------------------------------------------------------
------
THIS IS A HOAX. Upon investigation, CIAC has determined that this
message
originated from both a user of America Online and a student at a
university
at approximately the same time, and it was meant to be a hoax.
CIAC has also seen other variations of this hoax, the main one is
that any
electronic mail message with the subject line of "xxx-1" will infect
your
computer.
This rumor has been spreading very widely. This spread is due mainly
to the
fact that many people have seen a message with "Good Times" in the
header.
They delete the message without reading it, thus believing that they
have
saved themselves from being attacked. These first-hand reports give a
false
sense of credibility to the alert message.
There has been one confirmation of a person who received a message
with
"xxx-1" in the header, but an empty message body. Then, (in a panic,
because
he had heard the alert), he checked his PC for viruses (the first
time he
checked his machine in months) and found a pre-existing virus on his
machine.
He incorrectly came to the conclusion that the E-mail message gave
him the
virus (this particular virus could NOT POSSIBLY have spread via an
E-mail
message). This person then spread his alert.
As of this date, there are no known viruses which can infect merely
through
reading a mail message. For a virus to spread some program must be
executed.
Reading a mail message does not execute the mail message. Yes,
Trojans have
been found as executable attachments to mail messages, the most
notorious
being the IBM VM Christmas Card Trojan of 1987, also the TERM MODULE
Worm
(reference CIAC Bulletin B-7) and the GAME2 MODULE Worm (CIAC
Bulletin B-12).
But this is not the case for this particular "virus" alert.
If you encounter this message being distributed on any mailing lists,
simply
ignore it or send a follow-up message stating that this is a false
rumor.
Karyn Pichnarczyk
CIAC Team
ciac@llnl.gov
------------------------------
Contacting CIAC
If you require additional assistance or wish to report a
vulnerability, call
CIAC at 510-422-8193, fax messages to 510-423-8002 or send E-mail to
ciac@llnl.gov. For emergencies and off-hour assistance, call
1-800-SKY-PAGE
(759-7243) and enter PIN number 8550070 (primary) or 8550074
(secondary).
The CIAC Duty Officer, a rotating responsibility, carries the primary
skypager. The Project Leader carries the secondary skypager. If you
are
unable to contact CIAC via phone, please use the skypage system.
------------------------------
This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an
agency of
the United States Government. Neither the United States Government
nor the
University of California nor any of their employees, makes any
warranty,
express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility
for the
accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus,
product,
or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe
privately
owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial products,
process,
or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does
not
necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or
favoring
by the United States Government or the University of California. The
views
and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or
reflect
those of the United States Government or the University of
California, and
shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
------------------------------
End of CIAC Notes Number 94-04 94_12_06
****************************************
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