Subject: Fwd: Virus Warning Message!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Multiple exclamation marks. Forwarded, probably from a "friend of a friend".
Please read the following message and forward it to ANYONE you know!!!
A request to spread the hoax further. An sure sign of a virus hoax. Multiple
exclamation marks.
FCC Virus Warning!!!
The FCC does not send out virus warnings and there is no reference to any
other source. Multiple exclamation marks.
The FCC has just released a new virus warning of a email virus named
"Hackingburgh". This virus is spread throughout networks and email
servers.
It claims there is an email virus when no such thing exists.
The infected message has random titles with one attachment and one Java
applet. When the person reads the message, the virus would be evoked
automatically by the commands of the suspicious Java applet.
The author is mixed up about the difference between reading an email and
surfing the web.
However, since the virus is so small, executing it would be undetectable.
Another sign of a hoax is claims that it is undetectable.
"Hackingburgh" is a Multi-Partite, memory resident virus.
Some legitimate terms incorrectly used as technobabble. The proper term
is multipartite.
Once the
virus has been executed by the commmands of the Java applet, it would
overwrite the MBR and place the original MBR in sector 7, cylinder 1 of
the disk.
Sector 7, cylinder 1 is in the middle of the FAT(File Allocation Table).
A real virus alert wouldn't put in such irrelevant technical details and
then get it wrong. Notice also that commands is spelled wrong. A real virus
alert wouldn't have such obvious spelling errors.
It would become memory resident everytime the computer has
boot up and would infect any removable media, including floppies and Zip
disks, that was inserted into the drives by placing itself at the end of
the disk and altering the boot sector to point to this code. After the
computer has boot up on the 13th of every month, the virus would
reformat all visible hard drive partitions. Also, it might also corrupt
program files slowly and cause illegal operations.
This virus attacks MS-DOS based computers. Under Windows 95 and NT, the
files Explorer.exe & System.dat has a 3-in-5 chance of being corrupted.
However, since the virus is a stealth virus, detection of the virus
would be very difficult.
So it overwrites the FAT, formats disks, corrupts programs, causes
illegal operations, and attacks Explorer.exe and System.dat. And then the
message says detection of the virus is very difficult. Doesn't that seem a
little contradictory?
In order to prevent infection by the virus, switch off the capability
of reading Java applets in your Java-enabled browser like Netscape
Navigator and Internet Explorer(both browser together counts for 98% of
all browsers) before reading ANY email messages.
Another attempt to make it sound legitimate by preying on people's fear
of Java.
PLEASE FORWARD THIS WARNING MESSAGE TO ANYONE YOU KNOW!!
Definite sign of a hoax. The request to forward it and the multiple
exclamation marks.