Summary
Pieck has some similarities to the Tequila virus. It's a multipartite virus which infects the MBR when an infected file is run. After next boot, the virus goes resident and infects EXE files when they are executed or accessed. However, EXE files are infected in floppy drives only. If infected EXE files are accessed on hard drives, the virus will disinfect them!
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
Pieck is a stealth virus, so changes made to MBR and EXE files are not visible as long as the virus is resident.
Pieck activates on third of March, every year. At this date, it decrypt and display this message:
Podaj haslo ?
Which means "Password?". The correct password is 'PIECK'. If an incorrect answer is given, the virus displays 'Blad!' (which means 'Bad!') and makes the machine unbootable. Correct password is greeted with a new message:
Pozdrowienia dla wynchowankow Pieck'a.
('Greetings to "wychowankow" Pieck').
Pieck was known to be in the wild in Eastern Europe in 1995 and in Germany in early 1996.
Variant:Pieck.4444 (Kaczor)
If the word "kaczor" is typed on the keyboard of an infected machine, the virus disinfects the MBR and displays this text:
Zrobione.
If the word "test" is written, the virus displays these texts:
Wersja Kodowanie Licznik HD
Otherwise this variant is similar to Pieck.2016 but activates by shaking the screen rapidly causing serious screen flicker on every 3rd of March. It also has some problems infecting files on 3.5" floppies.
Pieck.4444 is known to be in the wild internationally.
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