| Alias: | --- |
| Strain: | SYSTEM Z Virus |
| detected when: | January 1989 |
| where: | Elmshorn, FRG |
| Classification: | system virus (bootblock), resident |
| Length: | 1. length on storage medium: 1024 byte 2. length in RAM : 1024 byte |
Preconditions | |
| Operating System(s): | AMIGA-DOS |
| Version/Release: | 1.2/33.166, 1.2/33.180 and 1.3/34.20 |
| Computer model(s): | AMIGA 500, AMIGA 1000, AMIGA 2000A, AMIGA 2000B |
| Caroname: | System_Z.3_0 |
Attributes | |
| Easy identification: | typical texts: 'SYSTEM Z VIRUS PROTECTOR V3.0', 'Warning: This disk is infected with the Byte Bandit-Virus!', 'Warning: This disk is infected with the SCA-Virus','Left MouseButton: Kill the virus, Right MouseButton: Continue' |
Type of Infection: | self-identification method: 2nd longword =$50564c2e='PVL.'=checksum of SYSTEM Z viruses system infection: RAM resident, reset resident, bootblock |
| Infection Technique: | |
| Infection Trigger: | 'Kill VIRUS' request after reset (CONTROL + Left-AMIGA + Right-AMIGA) with positive answer |
| Storage Media affected: | only floppy disks (3.5" and 5.25") |
| Interrupts hooked: | --- |
| Stealth: | |
| Tunneling/Selfprot: | |
| Oligo/Polymorphism: | |
| Encoding Method: | |
| Damage: | permanent damage: overwriting bootblock after 'Kill VIRUS' request with positive answer transient damage: screen buffer manipulation: message when detecting a known virus (see above) |
| Damage Trigger: | permanent damage: 'Kill VIRUS' request after reset (CONTROL + Left-AMIGA + Right-AMIGA) with positive answer transient damage: message when detecting a known virus (see above) |
| Particularities: | uses StartIOVector; other resident programs using the system resident list (KickTagPointer, KickMemPointer) are shut down, screen gets green; programs using the CoolCapture vector are shut down, too; detects BYTE BANDIT, SCA (and SCA clones) and older versions of itself; pressing left mouse/fire button in port 1 during system reboot causes the virus to in- stall itself on the disk's bootblock without any request, pressing right mouse/fire button in port 2 during system reboot causes the virus to shut down itself; detecting a virus causes SYSTEM Z to produce a sound; detected as 'H.C.S.' by some antiviruses; tests itself by building a checksum (hex. $50564C2E = ascii 'PVL.'), if this fails, the virus shuts down by restoring the KickTag pointer to system default value else screen gets light blue and a couple of tones are played. |
| Similarities: | SYSTEM Z (antivirus) virus strain |
Agents | |
| Countermeasures: | 'CHECKVECTORS 2.2', 'GUARDIAN 1.2', 'VIRUSX 4.0' |
| Standard means: | 'CHECKVECTORS 2.2' |
Acknowledgements | |
| Location: | Virus Test Center, University Hamburg, FRG |
| Classification by: | Alfred Manthey Rojas |
| Documentation by: | Alfred Manthey Rojas |
| Date: | 5-June-1990 |
| Information Source: | --- |
(c) 1996 Virus-Test-Center, University of Hamburg