 Computer virus have become today’s headline news  With the increasing use of the Internet, it has become easier for virus to spread  Virus show us loopholes in software  Most virus are targeted at the MS Windows OS

Þ Virus : A true virus is capable of self replication on a machine. It may spread between files or disks, but the defining character is that it can recreate itself on it’s own with out traveling to a new host

 Background  Symptoms  Classifying Viruses  Examples  Protection/Prevention  Conclusion

 There are estimated 30,000 computer viruses in existence  Over 300 new ones are created each month  First virus was created to show loopholes in software

 ANSI COBOL  C/C++  Pascal  VBA  Unix Shell Scripts  JavaScript  Basically any language that works on the system that is the target

 Computer runs slower then usual  Computer no longer boots up  Screen sometimes flicker  PC speaker beeps periodically  System crashes for no reason  Files/directories sometimes disappear  Denial of Service (DoS)

 Virus Information Discovery Date: Origin: Length: Type: SubType: Risk Assessment: Category:

 Stealth  Polymorphic  Companion

 Trojan Horse  Worm  Macro

 Covert  Leaks information  Usually does not reproduce

 Back Orifice Discovery Date: 10/15/1998 Origin:Pro-hacker Website Length:124,928 Type: Trojan Subtype:Remote Access Risk Assessment: Low Category: Stealth

 About Back Orifice  requires Windows to work  distributed by “Cult of the Dead Cow”  allows remote access and control of other computers  once infected, runs in the background  by default uses UDP port TCP port  In Australia 72% of 92 ISP surveyed were infected with Back Orifice

 Features of Back Orifice  pings and query servers  reboot or lock up the system  display system information  logs keystrokes  edit registry  server control  receive and send files  display a message box

 Spread over network connection  Worms replicate  First worm released on the Internet was called Morris worm, it was released on Nov 2, 1988.

 Bubbleboy Discovery Date:11/8/1999 Origin:Argentina (?) Length:4992 Type:Worm/Macro SubType:VbScript Risk Assessment: Low Category: Stealth/Companion

 Bubbleboy  requires WSL (windows scripting language), Outlook or Outlook Express, and IE5  Does not work in Windows NT  Effects Spanish and English version of Windows  2 variants have been identified  Is a “latent virus” on a Unix or Linux system  May cause DoS

 How Bubbleboy works  Bubbleboy is embedded within an message of HTML format.  a VbScript while the user views a HTML page  a file named “Update.hta” is placed in the start up directory  upon reboot Bubbleboy executes

 How Bubbleboy works  changes the registered owner/organization ▪ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersi on\RegisteredOwner = “Bubble Boy” ▪ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersi on\RegisteredOrganization = “Vandalay Industry”  using the Outlook MAPI address book it sends itself to each entry  marks itself in the registry ▪ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Outlook.bubbleboy = “OUTLOOK.Bubbleboy1.0 by Zulu”

 Specific to certain applications  Comprise a high percentage of the viruses  Usually made in WordBasic and Visual Basic for Applications (VBA)  The first macro virus, on a CD ROM called "Windows 95 Software Compatibility Test" in 1995

 Melissa Discovery Date:3/26/1999 Origin:Newsgroup Posting Length:varies depending on variant Type:Macro/Worm Subtype:Macro Risk Assessment:High Category:Companion

 Melissa  requires WSL, Outlook or Outlook Express Word 97 SR1 or Office 2000  105 lines of code (original variant)  received either as an infected template or attachment  lowers computer defenses to future macro virus attacks  may cause DoS  infects template files with it’s own macro code

 How Melissa works  the virus is activated through a MS word document  document displays reference to pornographic websites while macro runs  1st lowers the macro protection security setting for future attacks  checks to see is it has run in current session before ▪ HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Office\Melissa = “by Kwyjibo”  propagates itself using the Outlook MAPI address book ( s sent to the first 50 addresses)

 How Melissa works  infects the Normal.dot template file with it’s own code  Lastly if the minutes of the hour match up to the date the macro inserts a quote by Bart Simpson into the current document ▪ “Twenty two points, plus triple word score, plus fifty points for using all my letters. Game’s over. I’m outta here.”

 Knowledge  Proper configurations  Run only necessary programs  Anti-virus software

 You know know more about virus and how:  viruses work through your system  to make a better virus  Have seen how viruses show us a loophole in popular software  Most viruses show that they can cause great damage due to loopholes in programming

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