Summary
This is a complex multipartite virus. Jackal infects COM and EXE files and the master boot sector on hard drives.
Removal
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.
Technical Details
When an infected file is executed, the virus modifies the partition table in the master boot sector and creates a new active partition where the virus resides. This means that you should not use the FDISK /MBR command to try to disinfect this virus. This also means that the hard drive partitions are not visible after a clean floppy boot.
When an infected machine is booted, the virus stays memory Resident, and infects COM and EXE files when they are accessed. Jackal tunnels DOS and BIOS interrupts to bypass virus monitors.
Jackal is also able to survive a warm reboot done by pressing Ctrl-Alt-Del. To boot clean you have to power down.
Jackal contains an activation routine, which overwrites part of the hard drive. This routine seems to be called by random.
Jackal gets its name from a string inside the virus body.
There are several variants known, 3101, 3118 and 3120 bytes in size.
McAfee Scan has had a false alarm of Jackal on hard drives with the OnTrack Disk Manager v6.03b software installed.
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