Summary

This is a common Word macro virus.

This virus is able to infect any language version of Word 6.x and 7.x running on Windows, Win95, WinNT or Macintosh.

Additional Details

WordMacro/MDMA contains only one macro: AutoClose. The virus will replicate to system macros (NORMAL.DOT) when an infected file is closed. After this it will spread to other documents when they are closed. The AutoClose macro is encrypted.

If an infected document is closed on the first day of any month, the virus will try to destroy data and displays a message box:

You are infected with MDMA_DMV. Brought to you by MDMA (Many Delinquent Modern Anarchists)
MDMA is a well-known abbrevition for methylenedioxy-methylamphetamine, ie. Extacy.

The destructive routines are different on different platforms:

Windows 3.x: The virus will ad a line reading "deltree /y c:" is added to the end of AUTOEXEC.BAT. This line will delete all files on drive C: when the machine is rebooted for the next time.

Windows 95: The virus will delete all Control Panel applets and help files (*.cpl, *.hlp) from the Windows directory. In addition, the virus will modify the user registry to A) Turn off logon prompting during Windows startup B) Turn on two system settings meant for disabled people: Sticky Keys and High Contrast. These will cause all shift keys to stay 'pressed down' when they are used and change the screen colors to be easily readable.

Windows NT: All files in the current directory will be deleted (provided that the user has enough rights to them).

Macintosh: All files in the system will be deleted.

The virus also plays with a file called C:\SHMK.

VARIANT:

MDMA.C

This variant activates on 21st to 31st of any month.

MDMA has been reported to be in the wild globally during 1996 and 1997

VARIANT:

MDMA.D

This variant is like MDMA.BE

VARIANT:

MDMA.AK

This is a corrupted variant of the virus.

This variant does not activates in any way. It just spreads.

VARIANT:

MDMA.BE

MDMA.BE tries to active on Macintosh systems on the fourth of every month by deleting all files on the hard drive.

This fails because of two bugs:

1. Because of bug, the virus would only be able to delete files in the first directory on the hard drive.

2. The viruses uses the wrong function to detect that it is running under Macintosh environment, and thus, never actives.

[Analysis: Katrin Tocheva & Mikko Hypponen, F-Secure]