Summary

For background information on Word macro viruses, see the description of the WordMacro/Concept virus.

WordMacro/Wazzu is one of the most common viruses in the world.

Additional Details

WordMacro/Wazzu consists of a single AutoOpen macro; this makes it language independent, ie. this macro virus is able to infect localized versions of Word as well as the english Word.

Wazzu.A frequently modifies the contents of documents it infects, moving words around and inserting the text 'wazzu '. The word 'Wazzu' is reported to be a nickname for the Washington State University.

Microsoft did accidentally spread the WordMacro/Wazzu virus several times during fall 1996:

The September 1996 edition of the Microsoft SPCD (Solution Provider CD) had a single Word document infected with WordMacro/Wazzu.A. This CD was distributed internationally to Microsoft partners. The infected file on this CD is \sia\mktools\case\ed3905a.doc.

Microsoft distributed Wazzu.A during the Swiss ORBIT conference on another CD called Letz Fetz on the Netz, in a document called hotl95d.doc.

An infected document was available for download on Microsoft's WWW site in the http://www.microsoft.com/switzerland/de/Misc/ hierarchy for several days, possibly weeks.

VARIANT:

Wazzu.B

The part of the payload that activates with a probability of 1/4 contains a syntax error.

VARIANT:

Wazzu.C

The Payload subroutine is not present and not called, so it has no payload. The RndWord subroutine is still present but not called.

VARIANT:

Wazzu.D

Both the Payload and the RndWord subroutines (and the calls to them) are missing, so no payload.

VARIANT:

Wazzu.E

Like Wazzu.D, but one unnecessary line ("Goto bye") has been removed. No payload.

VARIANT:

Wazzu.F

The payload subroutine is renamed to EatThis. With a probability of 1/10 it displays a message box saying "This one's for you, Bosco.".

VARIANT:

Wazzu.G

The part of the payload which inserts the word "wazzu" is corrupted; otherwise it is like Wazzu.A.

VARIANT:	Wazzu.X
ALIAS:	Meatgrinder

Wazzu.X contains this text:

      The Meat Grinder virus - Thanks to Kermit the Frog,
      and Kermit the Protocol

This virus is not particularily widespread, but it got lots of attention in January 1997, when the US military Assist team sent out this warning:

  <JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC//J6Z//@ams.com> 01/14/97/16:51
  UNCLAS
  AMP/ DESTRUCTIVE COMPUTER VIRUS DETECTION AND ERADICATION//
  RMKS/1. ALL MILITARY SITES SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION TO DETECT
  AND ERADICATE TWO (2), NEW DESTRUCTIVE VARIANTS OF MACRO VIRUSES
  CALLED MEATGRINDER (ALSO KNOWN AS WAZZU.X).  THE VIRUSES DESTROY
  HARD DRIVES, OR AT A MINIMUM, DATA ON HARD DRIVES.  BE ADVISED,
  MANY VIRUS DETECTION PACKAGES DO NOT DETECT OR ERADICATE THESE
  PARTICULAR VIRUS STRAINS.  THE VIRUSES HAVE A 48 HOUR TIME DELAY
  AND GIVE THE COMPUTER OPERATOR NO INDICATION OF INFECTION.
  2. THE EXECUTABLE FILES REQUIRED TO DETECT AND ERADICATE THESE
  VIRUSES ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH THE DEFENSE INFORMATION SYSTEMS
  AGENCY (DISA) ASSIST WEB SITE LOCATED AT WWW.ASSIST.MIL. IF YOU
  CAN NOT ACCESS THE WEB OR REQUIRE ADDITIONAL ASSISTANCE, CONTACT
  THE DISA GLOBAL OPERATIONS AND SECURITY CENTER HELP DESK AT DSN
  (312) 327-4700 OR 1-800-357-4231; EMAIL ADDRESS:  VIRUS@ASSIST.MIL.
  3. THIS IS A DISA AND JOINT STAFF J6 COORDINATED MSG.

VARIANT:	Wazzu.DG
ORIGIN:	France

This is another Wazzu variant, but this one seems to be more widespread than most of the others.

Wazzu.DG activates on 14th of July. At this time it might modify the Word settings and also insert this text to current document:

        Les employes les plus incompetents sont systematiquement
        promus aux postes ou ils se revelent le moins dangereux:
        l'encadrement."

The virus might also introduce some common French typing errors to current document.

VARIANT:	Wazzu.DH
ORIGIN:	France

This variant will infect the documents when closing them, because it consists of a single AutoClose macro (instead of AutoOpen like in previous variants).

The part of Payload subroutine that insert the text 'wazzu' is missing.

Sometimes the virus deletes words and inserts the following text in the infected document:

      BIG F... TO LAVOISIER LYCEE DE MERDE

Virus body contains this text:

      Sorry for the man or woman who have created azuzw,but it's for
      a good reason.Thanks you very much, AND F... LAVOISIER !!!!!!!

VARIANT:	Wazzu.DO
ORIGIN:	France

Wazzu.DO is a special case: This virus was written by a French company as an Anti-Virus macro. Unfortunately they created a new virus in the process.

This virus has AutoClose macro instead of Autoopen like in original Wazzu Word Macro virus.

In the beginning Wazzu.DO contains the following text:

        VirusMacroWord du Xxxxxx Xxxxxxxxxxxx xx XXXXX
        Virus Anti Virus du 14 juillet 1997
        v0.1b - Sgt THERY - 18/07/97

There are some little changes in the virus code. The Payload subroutine is not present and not called.

VARIANT:	Wazzu.DP
ORIGIN:	France

Like in Wazzu.C payload subroutine is missing, RndWord subroutine is still present, but not called.

In this variant one line has been changed for French version of Word.

VARIANT:	Wazzu.DU
ALIAS:	AntiNS

This is a simple variant of Wazzu, which is detected as AntiNS or Nightshade by some other anti-virus products.

It contains these texts:

        Vaccination to get rid of the NightShade word macro virus,
        that pretends to be an anti-virus Macro called ScanProt!
        11/97, Ax

        This is a vaccination response to the NightShade Word Macro
        Virus. It allows itself to be copied just like the original
        virus, so that it reproduces the vaccination just like the
        virus but all the code to lock the user's files has been
        removed. I am tired of telling the lab idiots to clean this
        mess - JML, 11/97

WM/Wazzu.DU does not have any destructive payload.

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