# Virus Starters Should Get the Death Penalty! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 22, 2001, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298 "2001-01-22T18:52:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Geek\_Mecha](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecae2f/32.png) [@Geek\_Mecha](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Geek_Mecha)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/21 "2001-01-23T04:56:31Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by friedo \* > \*\* > PS: There have been several hundred viruses written for Macs, but they’re more difficult to spread nowadays, as Macs aren’t so peachy keen about default network services and executing arbitrary code. \*\* And there’s actually a benefit to having a small market share: no one’s going to devote the time it takes to create a virus for an OS that only 5-10% of the world uses. You make a bigger splash wreaking havoc on the OS almost everyone uses. Speaking of Macs and the Melissa virus-- [http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/melissamac010119b.html](http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/scitech/DailyNews/melissamac010119b.html) ---
**Author:** ![TheMoonGazer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b2d939/32.png) [@TheMoonGazer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMoonGazer)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/22 "2001-01-23T05:25:31Z")
Hey Dude!, at least I get things done, fast and without anyone whining about how the b\*\*\*\*\*d was misunderstood as a kid or lives in a hardship home or is addicted to drugs or figured he had the right to break my car window and steal my $750 CD set because he was taking justified revenge on the race which supposedly keeps him down and destroys his life. No sweat, no lawyers, no court expenses, and usually, no great hospital bills. Over and done with within minutes. I have my CD player back, he gets off with only needing stitches and knows not to come back. I didn’t even charge him for having to have my dash repaired and the set put back in, nor for the $200 window. I mean, some kid steals your $25,000 SUV, goes on a joy ride with it, does $15,000 worth of damage to the thing and when he’s caught, he gets a little time in a minimum security kid jail, slapped on the wrist and you’re out a bunch of cash. It will take him 20 years to pay you back at $50 a month, provided he just doesn’t stop paying and suing his folks will get you nowhere because they don’t have a pot to urinate in let alone a window to throw it out of. Plus, a judge might decide that the kid needs to bet let off with just probation. My cash don’t go far. My computer is a luxury and around here, most computer guys charge $65 an hour just to look at them. Have them start digging out a virus, repairing damaged software, installing better security and the costs mount up. In the mean time, the SOB who sent the virus is sitting at home, laughing at all the mayhem he caused and dreaming up another, better virus that will do more destruction in a person’s system. Most caught virus criminals might get slapped on the wrist, required to pay back some money, spend a few weeks in the can and get out on probation because the crime is not yet considered real serious. I’ll make it simpler. Turn him over to people like me who he screwed over, just for 20 minutes, and let him find out just how funny we think his actions were. He’ll probably think real hard before designing another virus afterwards, after his fingers heal, that is. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/23 "2001-01-23T05:54:45Z")
Yeah, whatever. Too bad for you, none of your ideas are legal, or fall within the bound of ethical human behavior. Life must be nice and simple on your planet, but it’s time for you to get back to the mothership. ---
**Author:** ![Badtz\_Maru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e36b37/32.png) [@Badtz\_Maru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Badtz_Maru)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 6:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/24 "2001-01-23T06:45:14Z")
I heard there are virus editor programs, where you can go through some menus to customize your virus and it will make one to your specifications. It could just be an urban legend, though… I have a theory that viruses are created (at least in part) by the software industry, to reduce piracy. If people bought all their software and never ran executables they got off the 'net or from a friend, they would have a very low risk of getting a virus. I have one computer I use strictly for gaming, and never bothered to put AV software on it becaue the only programs that get run on it came straight out of the box. ---
**Author:** ![Fenris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fenris/32/498_2.png) [@Fenris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fenris)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/25 "2001-01-23T12:49:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Badtz Maru \* > **I heard there are virus editor programs, where you can go through some menus to customize your virus and it will make one to your specifications. It could just be an urban legend, though…** They used to exist, I don’t know if they still do. I suspect they do. The “problem” with programs like that is that they still use the same “core” virus, which means that any decent anti-virus program can pick 'em up. The ones I saw, the menus only let you set stuff like the virus message (“YoU hAv3 b33n 1Nf3cT3d W1tH tH3 FENRIS v1ru5!”), the activiation conditions (10 reboots, a particular date, etc). If they still exist, I’m sure they’ve gotten far more sophisticated. I personally played with a couple of programs like that back in the olden days (early '90s?) when it was still a fun challenge to debug, format and restore the system. I never created viruses from scratch-complete lack of programming skills, and I didn’t spread the ones I got, but somehow I was fascinated by them. I spent a couple of months downloading viruses from ‘31it3’ BBS’s, who often had archives of ZIPped (in those days though, it would have been an ARC’d) viruses. I’d infect my system and watch what it did. Then I’d do a debug/F&R and start again. I used to be seriously in need of a life. Fenris ---
**Author:** ![S-Terry\_Dan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7cd45c/32.png) [@S-Terry\_Dan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/S-Terry_Dan)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/26 "2001-01-23T17:13:24Z")
Back in the day, when I was running some kind of Win32, I got hit by a virus. Hard. Took out the entire /windows directory. I whined, pissed, and moaned about it, and then I learned how it worked, fixed everything, reinstalled, and everything was happy again. Yes, there are a lot of viruses out there, and they do cost people who can’t figure out how to fix them themselves a lot of money to pay someone to come in with an antivirus program. In the rare occurance where a virus author is tracked down, they shouldn’t be forced into a lifetime of Taco Hell, but to help fix the damage they did. Notice “rare occurance”. The FBI tends to grab someone quickly, scream “GOT 'IM!” and then let them go quietly. Remember when all those big sites got hit by distributed DOS attacks? The FBI nabbed some kid from an IRC channel named Mafiaboy, but they were kinda quiet when it came out that he didn’t do it. You’ve got to be hardassed about your security, and exercise some common sense. New exploits for Outlook Express come out every month. Try the alternatives. ---
**Author:** ![Fatwater\_Fewl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/4491bb/32.png) [@Fatwater\_Fewl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fatwater_Fewl)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2001, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/27 "2001-01-23T17:47:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by S-Terry Dan \* > \*\* > Notice “rare occurance”. The FBI tends to grab someone quickly, scream “GOT 'IM!” and then let them go quietly. Remember when all those big sites got hit by distributed DOS attacks? The FBI nabbed some kid from an IRC channel named Mafiaboy, but they were kinda quiet when it came out that he didn’t do it. \*\* Actually, Mafiaboy was charged by the RCMP and his case is before the courts in Quebec right now. ---
**Author:** ![BoBettie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@BoBettie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BoBettie)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2001, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/28 "2001-01-24T15:33:57Z")
I hate those pigfuckers, too. I have spent more time trying to clean freaking viruses then you can shake a stick at. Thanks for the reminder- I just re-sent my quarterly death threat to anyone on my network that opens a virus containing e-mail and ignores the macro warning. Those macro viruses are such a bitch! Zette ---
**Author:** ![Lord\_Derfel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/bb73d2/32.png) [@Lord\_Derfel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Derfel)\ **Post date:** [January 24, 2001, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/29 "2001-01-24T22:03:24Z")
FYI, Mafiaboy pleaded guilty last week and is awaiting sentencing: [CBC News story](http://cbc.ca/cgi-bin/templates/view.cgi?/news/2001/01/18/mafiaboy010118) ---
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/30 "2001-01-25T02:00:02Z")
Origination and disemination of a virus is so much more than mere vandalism. There is a specific intention to impair on a massive scale the work product and industrial organization of people and companies worldwide. This is not some mere spray-paint-on-an-overpass in a remote corner of a city. This is more akin to throwing _bent nails_ onto the roadway below the overpass. Think of the mayhem resultant from such an act. Not much difference from destroying the efforts of a person in their workplace. People work hard enough as it is. To have the unmittigated gall to think that it is some sort of prank to be so destructive is beyond malicious. Those who are involved with this sort of activity should face automatic, mandatory felony prosecution. Hard time for anyone over the age of twelve should be the result. No one would commonly think of setting fire to a business, yet it seems to be a minor offense to literally burn that business’ books with a virus. Financial remuneration would be nice but it is usually impossible to determine the ultimate value or extent of damages from such activity. Consequently, it is better to have exceptionally harsh penalties for such conduct. When enough of these cretins disappear over the event horizon of a federal penitentiary others might finally take the punishment seriously as well. This is not small potatoes. As our society becomes increasingly dependent upon computer based systems this will only increase in scope and virulence. Only the most stringent enforcement will abate this problem. The most severe calumny of the public at large can barely begin to ensure that such criminal activity is recognized for what it is. Death penalty? Well maybe not, but a rather nasty and prolonged spell in the gray-bar hotel is certainly in order. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/31 "2001-01-25T03:19:21Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Fenris \* > \*\* > > > [@](#): > > > > \*Originally posted by Badtz Maru \* > > **I heard there are virus editor programs, where you can go through some menus to customize your virus and it will make one to your specifications. It could just be an urban legend, though…** > > They used to exist, I don’t know if they still do. I suspect they do.\*\* 1. Yes, they certainly do. 2. They are lame, and most create families of viruses that the AV people detect and update their signature files for within 48 hours. ---
**Author:** ![Fyodor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/958977/32.png) [@Fyodor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fyodor)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/32 "2001-01-25T04:34:50Z")
I am sitting at home, deeply depressed, typing this on my old laptop. I got totally and supremely fucked today by the PE\_MTX.A virus, a trojan. I spent five hours with a geek friend trying to save my desktop computer but no hope. Not only is it unfixable by a “home visit” from the good souls at the antivirus website but the virus is designed to interfere with communication with the anti-virus websites. We plan to empty my CPU and reload everything tomorrow. The virus is spreading through Windows and is infecting every file, 164 files at last count. I am going to lose an incredible amount of data and material. It’s my own fucking fault for not being more virus vigilant but the cost to me is very high. Right now I’m a struggling consultant just barely making a living and I use my home computer a lot for work. I’ve got emails on there from company presidents discussing possible work. Whoever is responsible for this virus has committed a serious crime against me. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/33 "2001-01-25T05:16:04Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Al Zheimers \* > \*\*I am sitting at home, deeply depressed, typing this on my old laptop. > > I got totally and supremely fucked today by the PE\_MTX.A virus, a trojan. I spent five hours with a geek friend trying to save my desktop computer but no hope. Not only is it unfixable by a “home visit” from the good souls at the antivirus website but the virus is designed to interfere with communication with the anti-virus websites. > We plan to empty my CPU and reload everything tomorrow. The virus is spreading through Windows and is infecting every file, 164 files at last count. I am going to lose an incredible amount of data and material.\*\* Maybe you are, and maybe you aren’t. Sure doesn’t sound like it to me, though. From [Macafee.Com](http://Macafee.Com): > [@](#): > > Virus Characteristics > Update - November 30, 2000: > > This is a 32bit PE file infector for Windows 9x/NT systems. This virus modifies WSOCK32.DLL in an effort to hook SMTP traffic as an attachment. This virus searches for available shares through Network Neighborhood in an effort to transfer to host systems. > > Indications Of Infection > > Existence of these files on the local system (Windows folder): > > IE\_PACK.EXE > MTX\_.EXE > WIN32.DLL > WSOCK32.MTX > > The file WININIT.INI is modified to replace calling of the regular wsock32.dll with the dropped file wsock32.mtx after next reboot. > > When this virus sends itself via email, it could be one of the following file names, randomly picked: > > ALANIS\_Screen\_Saver.SCR > ANTI\_CIH.EXE > AVP\_Updates.EXE > BILL\_GATES\_PIECE.JPG.pif > BLINK\_182.MP3.pif > ’ FEITICEIRA\_NUA.JPG.pif > FREE\_xxx\_sites.TXT.pif > FUCKING\_WITH\_DOGS.SCR > Geocities\_Free\_sites.TXT.pif > HANSON.SCR > I\_am\_sorry.DOC.pif > I\_wanna\_see\_YOU.TXT.pif > INTERNET\_SECURITY\_FORUM.DOC.pif > IS\_LINUX\_GOOD\_ENOUGH!.TXT.pif > JIMI\_HMNDRIX.MP3.pif > LOVE\_LETTER\_FOR\_YOU.TXT.pif > MATRiX\_2\_is\_OUT.SCR > MATRiX\_Screen\_Saver.SCR > Me\_nude.AVI.pif > METALLICA\_SONG.MP3.pif > NEW\_NAPSTER\_site.TXT.pif > NEW\_playboy\_Screen\_saver.SCR > Protect\_your\_credit.HTML.pif > QI\_TEST.EXE > READER\_DIGEST\_LETTER.TXT.pif > SEICHO-NO-IE.EXE > Sorry\_about\_yesterday.DOC.pif > TIAZINHA.JPG.pif > WIN\_$100\_NOW.DOC.pif > YOU\_are\_FAT!.TXT.pif > zipped\_files.EXE > > This virus creates these key: > > HKLM\Software[MATRiX] > HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Run > SystemBackup = “C:\WINDOWS\MTX\_.EXE” > > Method Of Infection > > When the user doubleclicks on the attached file, several files are being dropped.Dropped files (some are marked Hidden) may be : > > IE\_PACK.EXE, > MTX\_.EXE, > WIN32.DLL > WSOCK32.MTX > > Removal Instructions > > Use specified engine and DAT files for detection and removal. > > \*\*Windows 95/98 systems require rebooting to MS-DOS mode and scanning with the command line scanner SCANPM in order to clean such files as EXPLORER.EXE and TASKMON.EXE. > > The WSOCK32.DLL file can be restored from backup. This can be done by: > > Windows 98/2000/ME > > - Click the START MENU|RUN, type SFC and click OK. > - Choose Extract one file from the installation disk > - Type C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\WSOCK32.DLL in the box and click Start. > - In the Restore from box type C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS or browse to the Win98 directory on your Windows98 CD-ROM > - Click OK and follow remaining prompts > > Wsock32.dll file exists within the Precopy1.cab cabinet file on the Windows 98 CD-ROM. > > Windows95 > > WSOCK32.DLL can be found in the following CAB files: > Win95\_11.cab on the Windows 95 CD-ROM > Win95\_18.cab on the Windows 95 OSR2 CD-ROM > Win95\_12.cab on the Windows 95 DMF disks > Win95\_19.cab on the Windows 95 non-DMF disks > > Below is an example for standard Windows 95 > > - Click the START MENU|SHUT DOWN choose RESTART IN MS-DOS MODE > - Type: EXTRACT /A C:\WINDOWS\OPTIONS\CABS\WIN95\_11.CAB WSOCK32.DLL /L C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM > or > - Insert your Windows95 CD-ROM and type: EXTRACT /A D:\WIN95\WIN95\_11.CAB WSOCK32.DLL /L C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM Where D: is your CD-ROM drive > > WindowsNT 4.0 > Rename the Wsock32.dll file in the Windows\System32 folder to Wsock32.old. > > For information about how to rename a file, click Start, click Help, click the Index tab, type renaming, and then double-click the ‘‘Renaming files’’ topic. > > Click Start, point to Programs, and then click Command Prompt. > > Type cd, and then press ENTER. > > Insert the Windows NT CD-ROM into the CD-ROM drive, and then close the Windows NT screen if it appears. > > Type the following line at the command prompt, and then press ENTER. > > expand \:\i386\wsock32.dl\_ c:<windows\>\system32\wsock32.dll > > where \ is the drive letter assigned to your CD-ROM drive, and where \ is the name of the folder in which Windows NT is installed. > > Type exit, and then press ENTER to return to windows.\*\* So, your geek friend and yourself already tried this and it didn’t work??? ---
**Author:** ![Fyodor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/958977/32.png) [@Fyodor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fyodor)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/34 "2001-01-25T11:56:24Z")
Thanks Anthracite, my geek knows everything already and insists Trend Micro is the best. I begged him to check out other websites for clues. I printed off your post and will force him to consider Macafee’s solution which appears quite different from Trend Micro’s and, at first glance, seems to more clearly address the problem of the lost WSOCK32.DLL file that baffled my geek. The fight against ignorance continues. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 25, 2001, 1:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298/35 "2001-01-25T13:19:45Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Al Zheimers \* > \*\*Thanks Anthracite, my geek knows everything already and insists Trend Micro is the best. I begged him to check out other websites for clues. I printed off your post and will force him to consider Macafee’s solution which appears quite different from Trend Micro’s and, at first glance, seems to more clearly address the problem of the lost WSOCK32.DLL file that baffled my geek. The fight against ignorance continues. \*\* Well, I sure hope so. From many other websites I went to as well, it seems this virus is really just not that harmful or difficult to remove, relative to many others. You should be able to save all your files - hell, it sounds like the work of less than half an hour to get rid of it and restore WINSOCK32.DLL, from what I am reading. You have to research these things. And I never even heard of “Trend Micro”. For antivirus stuff, why not go to MacAfee, F-Protect (my fav), or Norton? These companies have such an enormous experience and so much business riding on the line, that you know they typically have the “straight dope” on what to do… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/virus-starters-should-get-the-death-penalty/51298.md?page=1)