F-Secure Virus Descriptions : VCL.716

NAME:	VCL
ALIAS:	VCL-Based
ORIGIN:	USA
SIZE:	Variable

This is actually not a virus but rather a virus-construction toolkit, which can be used to create simple, easily detectable viruses in large numbers. Most of the viruses don't work properly, and the whole program is a rather shoddy piece of work.

VARIANT: Chuang, Donatello, Enun, Earthday, Kinison, Venom

VARIANT: Yankee-tune

TYPE: Non-resident COM-files

REPAIR: Yes

These viruses append their code to .COM files.

VARIANT: Pearl Harbour, Heevahava

TYPE: Non-resident Companion

REPAIR: Yes

Companion-type viruses, no better written than the other VCL-generated viruses.

VARIANT: Genocide

ORIGIN: South Africa

This variant was found from South Africa in August 1994.

VCL.Genocide is an encrypting direct action infector of COM files.

When run, it will locate a COM file from somewhere in the hard disk, and infect it. The files will grow by 839 bytes.

The virus will activate on the 1st of August. At that time, it will try to overwrite the boot sector of all available drives. Due to a programming error, this will only succeed with floppy drives, if they have diskettes inserted. Hard disk will not be affected.

After the activation routine, the virus will beep and display the following texts on screen before hanging the machine:

        * This was a very bad day to switch on the Computer! *
          --- Files Infected by the : Genocide2 Virus ! ---
         == Copyright (C) Invader Pro. South Africa 1994. ==

        All data lost ... Have a nice Day!

NAME: Viral_Messiah

This is an overwriting virus written with VCL. It displays the following text:

 I am your VIRAL MESSIAH
 Follow me and be redeemed
 Your data doth exist no more
 The FAT holds ashes of your dreams

[VCL][Viral Messiah]Nowhere Man, [NuKE] '92

Infected files can not be disinfected as the virus overwrites them.

NAME: VCL.716

ALIAS: VCL.RedTeam

This is a simple VCL variant which contains this text:

        Now YOU are a part of the Red Team!
        by Dark in 93

This virus has nothing to do with the RedTeam virus, which infects Windows EXE files and attempts to spread via Eudora.