Freeze Virus

Alias:---
Strain:---
detected when:October 1988
where:Helmond (Netherlands)
Classification:System (bootsector) virus, overwriting
Length:512 Bytes

Preconditions

Operating System(s):Atari TOS
Version/Release:All versions
Computer model(s):All Atari ST
Caroname:Freeze

Attributes

Easy identification:The words : $487A,$0010 can be found in the boot sector at Positon $100, or in memory at :phystop-$300+$100 (all: hex).

Type of Infection:

Executable bootsectors are not infected.

Infection Technique:
Infection Trigger:Execution of BIOS disk functions.
Storage Media affected:The virus infects drive A and B.
Interrupts hooked:Timer interrupt installed for damage; hdv_bpb changed to infect bootsector of new disk.
Stealth:
Tunneling/Selfprot:
Oligo/Polymorphism:
Encoding Method:
Damage:Every second the timer-routine increases a delay counter by 1 and then counting it down to zero; this will slowdown the system.
Damage Trigger:When the virus is booted.
Particularities:If harddisk SH204 is connected, the virus causes an address error and will not be installed.
Similarities:The same installation routine as MAD virus; only different damage action and damage trigger.

Agents

Countermeasures:Make sure that virus is not in memory; modify last byte in bootsector to another value.
Standard means:Clear all bytes in bootsector beginning at offset 30 (decimal).

Acknowledgements

Location:Virus Test Center, University of Hamburg FRG
Classification by:Thomas Piehl
Documentation by:George R. Woodside
Date:31-January-1991
Information Source:

(c) 1996 Virus-Test-Center, University of Hamburg