Dec_Year Virus

Alias:Last_Year, Last_Year.604
Strain:
detected when:
where:
Classification:File virus(appending COM infector),memory resident
Length:1.Length (Byte) on storage medium: 604 Bytes 2.Length (Byte) in RAM: 880 Bytes

Preconditions

Operating System(s):MSDOS
Version/Release:
Computer model(s):IBM PCs and compatibles
Caroname:Last_Year

Attributes

Easy identification:---

Type of Infection:

Self-Identification methods: File infection: infects COM files by appending it's code. For self-identification, tests whether 4th and 5th byte is "88 31". System infection: virus makes itself memory resident via TWIXT method. For self-identi- fication, virus checvks whether 2 bytes before the byte that the INT21 vector points to are "61 6D". Can therefore load more than once if another INT21-hooker intervenes.

Infection Technique:
Infection Trigger:Finding an executable file and if DS:DX ends in "COM".
Storage Media affected:
Interrupts hooked:Int 21: functions 4B, 0A, 2A
Stealth:
Tunneling/Selfprot:
Oligo/Polymorphism:
Encoding Method:
Damage:Permanent Damage: none Transient Damage: INT21 handler subtracts one from the year on INT21/2A (Get Date) calls.
Damage Trigger:Permanent Damage: none Transient Damage: Always
Particularities:1) No side effects, except transient damage and usual MCB-munging due to TWIXT method. 2) Virus code is rather explicit in handling (ignoring) write-protect errors in INT 24 handler but coding of INT 21 handler shows some unused flag; potentially more variants are intended.
Similarities:---

Agents

Countermeasures:Not tested
Standard means:

Acknowledgements

Location:IBM High Integrity Computing Lab, Hawthorne N.Y.
Classification by:David Chess, IBM HICL
Documentation by:David Chess, IBM HICL (CAROBase entry) Klaus Brunnstein, VTC
Date:June 24, 1993
Information Source:Reverse analysis of virus code

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