Urgent Note - virus

To: Tesla List <tesla-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
Subject: Urgent Note - virus
From: Chip Atkinson <chip-at-poodle.pupman-dot-com>
Date: Thu, 17 Oct 1996 23:04:22 -0600 (MDT)
--------->> Downloaded from the McAfee Web page <<----------

PKZIP300 TROJAN HORSE

A Trojan Horse has tentatively emerged on the internet with the name
PKZIP300.ZIP or PKZIP300.EXE, so named as to give the impression that this
file is a new version of the popular PKZIP software used to ZIP (compress)
files. Any customers are encouraged to send this into McAfee's Virus
Research Department.

If found, do not download this file under any circumstances! If you install
or expand this file, the Trojan Horse will possibly wipe your hard disk and
may affect modems at 14.4 and higher.

This is rumored to be an extremely destructive Trojan Horse (not a virus)
and there is not yet a way of cleaning it.

Do not download any file with the name PKZIP300 -- regardless of the
extension

The current information that we have regarding the PKZIP Trojan Horse is
the following from the PKWare BBS:

   * Do not trust or use ANY version of PKZIP other than 1.10, 1.93,
     2.04c,2.04e, or 2.04g. All other versions currently circulating on
     BBSs are hacks or fakes.

Remember there are major differences between a Trojan Horse and a Virus:

Viruses:

   * require a host to spread
   * perform tasks transparent to user
   * carry a payload
   * have a trigger or something to activate (ie date etc.)

Trojan Horses:

   * have a payload
   * destroy everything including themselves, therefore not allowing them
     to spread like a virus

Do not download any file with the name PKZIP300 -- regardless of the
extension


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 Chip Atkinson 
 http://bhs.broo.k12.wv.us/homepage/chip/info.htm
 --- Everyone is someone else's weirdo. ---
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