Die_Hard is a resident fast infector which targets COM and EXE files. It is known to be in the wild especially in India, where it was found in September 1994. Die_Hard has also been sighted in Singapore, Indonesia, USA and in many parts of Europe.
When the virus is executed, it goes resident in memory, decreasing the available DOS memory by 9232 bytes. Die_Hard infects all executed or opened COM and EXE files. The infected files grow by exactly 4000 bytes.
Die_Hard hides beneath several layers of encryption. When the virus is decrypted, the following texts can be seen:
SW DIE HARD 2 SW Error
Since the virus does not utilize polymorphic encryption techniques, it is quite easy to find.
Die_Hard activates on the 3rd, 11th, 15th, or 28th of any month, provided the day is Tuesday and the virus has already infected at least 13 files. The virus will then wait until some program changes the screen to graphics mode. At this time the virus will display an animation of large 'S' and 'W' characters on the screen. It will also deny write access to files, displaying text 'SW Error'.
Besides infecting COM and EXE files, Die_Hard trojanizes ASM and PAS source files when they are accessed; in other words, the virus inserts source code Trojan horses in these files.
Based on the settings of your F-Secure security product, it will either move the file to the quarantine where it cannot spread or cause harm, or remove it.
A False Positive is when a file is incorrectly detected as harmful, usually because its code or behavior resembles known harmful programs. A False Positive will usually be fixed in a subsequent database update without any action needed on your part. If you wish, you may also:
Check for the latest database updates
First check if your F-Secure security program is using the latest updates, then try scanning the file again.
Submit a sample
After checking, if you still believe the file is incorrectly detected, you can submit a sample of it for re-analysis.
Note: If the file was moved to quarantine, you need to collect the file from quarantine before you can submit it.
Exclude a file from further scanning
If you are certain that the file is safe and want to continue using it, you can exclude it from further scanning by the F-Secure security product.
Note: You need administrative rights to change the settings.
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