LockUp Virus

Virus Name: LockUp Aliases: LK, Mithrandir III V Status: Rare Discovered: May, 1992 Symptoms: Hidden .COM files created; decrease in total system & available free memory; "Divide Overflow" errors may occur Origin: Sweden Eff Length: 496 Bytes Type Code: SRhE - Spawning Resident .EXE Infector Detection Method: ViruScan, AVTK, F-Prot, Sweep, ChAV, IBMAV, NAV, NAVDX, VAlert, PCScan, NShld, Sweep/N, LProt, Innoc, AVTK/N, NAV/N, IBMAV/N Removal Instructions: Delete the hidden .COM files General Comments: The LockUp virus was isolated in Sweden in May, 1992. This virus is a memory resident spawning or companion virus which infects .EXE programs, and uses some stealth techniques to avoid detection. The first time a program infected with the LockUp virus is executed, the virus will will install itself memory resident at the top of system memory but below the 640K DOS boundary. It does not move interrupt 12's return. Total system and available free memory, as indicated by the DOS CHKDSK program, will have decreased by 1,568 bytes. Interrupt 21 will be hooked by LockUp in memory. Once the LockUp virus is memory resident, it will infect .EXE programs when they are opened or executed. Infected .EXE programs are not altered, but rather the virus creates a hidden 496 bytes .COM file in the directory with the same base file name. These hidden files always have the file date and time of 3-24-23 2:17a in the DOS disk directory. After the virus has created the hidden file, any time the user attempts to execute the infected .EXE program, the companion .COM program will be executed by DOS. The following text strings can be found in the 496 byte companion .COM files created by the LockUp virus: "DeMoRaLiZeD YoUtH" "Mithrandir III" When the LockUp virus is memory resident, it attempts to mask the presence of the hidden .COM files in order to avoid detection by anti-viral programs. The programs may not see the hidden files, so no virus will be found. Known variant(s) of LockUp are: LockUp-B: Functionally equivalent to the original virus, this variant has three bytes which differ. Origin: Sweden October, 1992. See: Mithrandir