MIX1 Virus

Alias:Mixer1
Strain:
detected when:August 22, 1989
where:BBSs in Israel
Classification:Program virus (.EXE files) - Extending, RAM-resident.
Length:1. Infected .EXE files enlarged by 1618-1634 bytes (depends on the original file size). 2. 2048 bytes in RAM.

Preconditions

Operating System(s):
Version/Release:2.0 or later.
Computer model(s):IBM-PC, XT, AT and compatibles
Caroname:Icelandic.1618.A

Attributes

Easy identification:1. "MIX1" are the last 4 bytes of the infected file. 2. In DEBUG to check byte 0:33C. If this equals 77h, then the virus is in memory.

Type of Infection:

System: Infected if byte 0:33C equals 77h. .EXE files: Only files which do not have a signature at their end are infected. File length is increased by 1618 - 1634 bytes.

Infection Technique:
Infection Trigger:When executing/load .EXE files through interrupt 21h service 4bh.
Storage Media affected:
Interrupts hooked:21h, 14h, 17h, optionally 8,9 (after 6th level of infection).
Stealth:
Tunneling/Selfprot:
Oligo/Polymorphism:
Encoding Method:
Damage:Garbled output on parallel and serial connec- tions, after 6th level of infection boot will crash the system (a bug), num-lock is constantly on, a ball will start boun- cing.
Damage Trigger:After executing and infected file is executed
Particularities:1. Booting may crash the computer (possibly a bug). 2. Memory allocation is done through direct MCB control. 3. Does not allocate stack, and therefore makes some files unusable. 4. Infects only files which are bigger than 8K.
Similarities:

Agents

Countermeasures:Virus Buster will locate the virus and upon request, will remove it.
Standard means:Check byte 0:33C (cf: Easy identifications).

Acknowledgements

Location:
Classification by:Yuval Tal (NYYUVAL@WEIZMANN.BITNET), Ori Berger
Documentation by:Yuval Tal (NYYUVAL@WEIZMANN.BITNET), Ori Berger
Date:December 19, 1989
Information Source:

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