8-Tunes Virus

Alias:1971
Strain:
detected when:---
where:---
Classification:Link-virus (extending), RAM-resident
Length:.COM files: program length increases by 1971-1986 bytes: (length -3) mod 16 = 0. .EXE files: program length increases by 1971-1986 bytes: (length -3) mod 16 = 0.

Preconditions

Operating System(s):MS-DOS
Version/Release:2.xx upward
Computer model(s):IBM-PC, XT, AT and compatibles
Caroname:Eight_Tunes

Attributes

Easy identification:Typical texts in Virus body (readable with HexDump-facilities):"COMMAND.COM" in the data area of the virus; increased filelength if the file is infected.

Type of Infection:

System: infected if function E00Fh of INT 21h returns the value 4C31h in the AX-register. .Com files: program length increases by 1971-1986 bytes; if infected, the bytes 007h,01fh,05fh, 05eh,05ah,059h,05bh,058h,02eh,0ffh,02eh,00bh, 000h are found 62 bytes before end of file; a .COM file will only be infected once. .COM files will not be infected if filelength<8177 and filelength>63296; virus will be linked to the end of the program. .EXE files: program length increases by 1971-1987 bytes. If it is infected the bytes 007h,01fh, 05fh,05eh,05ah,059h,05bh,058h,02eh,0ffh,02eh, 00bh,000h are found 62 bytes before end of file; an .EXE file will only be infected once; .EXE files will not be infected if filelength<8177; virus will be linked to the end of the program.

Infection Technique:
Infection Trigger:Programs are infected during load procedure (Load/Execute-function of Ms-Dos).
Storage Media affected:
Interrupts hooked:INT21h, INT08h (only if triggered), INT24h (only while infecting a file)
Stealth:
Tunneling/Selfprot:
Oligo/Polymorphism:
Encoding Method:
Damage:Transient Damage: After 30 minutes, the virus will play one of eigth melodies (random selection). After a short time, the virus will play a melody again.
Damage Trigger:Damage occurs 90 days after the file infection.
Particularities:1. COMMAND.COM will not be infected. 2. Normally, the virus will stay resident at the end of the available memory; only if the memory is fragmented by special software, the virus may become resident (via Dos- function 31h). 3. One function (0E00Fh) used by Novell- Netware 4.0 can't be accessed anymore. 4. The damage occurs immediately when processing a file with creation date before 1984. 5. During a file infection, the virus looks for "BOMBSQAD.COM", an antivirus-tool control- ling accesses to disks; if found, the virus will deactivate it (tested with BOMBSQAD V. 1.2). 6. During a file infection, the virus looks for "FSP.COM" (Flushot+), an antivirus tool controlling accesses to disks, files etc. If found, the virus will stop file infection (tested with FLUSHOT V. 1.4).
Similarities:

Agents

Countermeasures:
Standard means:

Acknowledgements

Location:Virus Test Center, University Hamburg, FRG
Classification by:Thomas Lippke, Michael Reinschmiedt
Documentation by:Michael Reinschmiedt, Thomas Lippke
Date:11-JUN-1990
Information Source:

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