New_Year, Happy New Year

Alias:
Strain:---
detected when:Early 1995
where:Japan
Classification:File virus (COM+EXE infector), memory resident
Length:1,392 Bytes

Preconditions

Operating System(s):MS-DOS > 2.00
Version/Release:
Computer model(s):IBM PCs
Caroname:New_Year

Attributes

Easy identification:--- Self-recognition in memory: virus searches all DOS MCB chains, comparing 32 bytes at MCB:66h to Virus:56h}; INT 21/2080 -> AH==0 if not found by the compare operation. Self-recognition on disk: virus compares if File[EOF-4f6h..EOF-4d5] == Virus[56..75]

Type of Infection:

File (COM,EXE) infector, appends itself to file.

Infection Technique:
Infection Trigger:Trigger conditions: Exec and FileLength>=1270 and LengthCOM!=3000 and LengthCOM<61440 and LengthEXE!=20669 and LengthEXE!=24657 and LengthEXE!=48288 and EXE_MinMem!=0 and EXE_MaxMem!=0 and EXE_Overlay==0 and LengthEXE==EXE_ImageSize and EXE_SP>=80h and EXE_SS>ProgramEnd
Storage Media affected:files on disk/diskette
Interrupts hooked:Int 21/4B00, Int 21/11, Int 21/12, Int 21/2080, Int 23, Int 24
Stealth:
Tunneling/Selfprot:
Oligo/Polymorphism:
Encoding Method:
Damage:Transient: Displays message: "Happy New Year"; text in virus is encrypted. Permanent: ---
Damage Trigger:Transient: Upon executing an infected (COM,EXE) program on Jan.1.-3, every year. Condition: (Month = January) and (DayOfMonth < 4) and Exec Permanent: ---
Particularities:1) Although virus does intercept INT 21/11 and Int 21/12 (FindFirst/FindNext FCB), it does not conceal infected files size increase. 2) Potentially, stealth methods might be added in later variants.
Similarities:---

Agents

Countermeasures:
Standard means:Delete any infected files and replace them with their originals.

Acknowledgements

Location:1)Jade Virus Lab, Tokyo, Japan 2)VirusLab, S&S International
Classification by:1)Analysis: Hidenobu Takayanagi 2)CARObase entry: Dmitry O.
Documentation by:1+2) Hidenoby Takayanagi, Dmitry O. Gryaznov
Date:1+2) February 16, 1995 3) May 5, 1995
Information Source:Analysis of virus code

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