Random Virus
Virus Name: Random
Aliases:
V Status: Rare
Discovery: January, 1993
Symptoms: .COM file growth; decrease in total system & available free
memory
Origin: Australia
Eff Length: 615 Bytes
Type Code: PRhCK - Parasitic Resident .COM Infector
Detection Method: ViruScan, F-Prot, Sweep, NAV, IBMAV, AVTK,
NAVDX, VAlert, PCScan, ChAV,
NShld, Sweep/N, NAV/N, NProt, AVTK/N, IBMAV/N, Innoc,
LProt
Removal Instructions: Delete infected files
General Comments:
The Random virus was submitted in March, 1993, following its
discovery in Melbourne, Australia in January, 1993. Random is a
memory resident infector of .COM programs, including COMMAND.COM.
The first time a program infected with the Random virus is executed,
the Random virus will install itself memory resident at the top of
system memory but below the 640K DOS boundary, hooking interrupt 21.
Total system and available free memory, as indicated by the DOS
CHKDSK program, will decrease by 624 bytes. Interrupt 12's return
will not be moved.
Once the Random virus is memory resident, it will infect .COM
programs when they are executed. If COMMAND.COM is executed, it
will become infected. Programs infected with the Random virus will
have a file length increase of 615 bytes with the virus being
located at the end of the file. The file's date and time in the
DOS disk directory listing will not be altered. The following text
strings are visible within the viral code in all Random infected
programs:
"A Kevin Mitnick"
"U Lenny DiCcoco"
"S Hans Hubner"
"T 414's"
". Legion of Doom"
" Phiber Optik"
"P Dr Popp"
" Robert Morris"
"1 Shooting Shark"
"9 Chesire Catalyst"
"9 Captain Crunch"
"2 Ron Austin"
" Kevin Poulsen"
"are all to be congratulated"