first Linux/windoze virus

[David A. Bandel]

On Sun, 29 Jul 2001 00:40:01 -0400
begin  "Burns MacDonald" <linux at burnsmacdonald.com> spewed forth:

> From: "Susan Macchia" <susan at smacchia.net>
> > >
> > >Is it just me, or is there no explanation of how it is spread?>
> > >
> > >http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/linux.simile.html
> 
> I have some serious doubts about this whole thing - too many things just
> don't add up.
> 
> 1) First, they don't give a detailed account of the mechanics of this
> supposed virus, what files and processes it affects and how.
> 
> 2) This is supposedly based on the Win32 virus - that virus, by
> definition, can only attack Windows derivatives and related
> applications.
> 
> 3) If it attacks linux, which means it can attack an operating
> environment that is POSIX compliant and has SysV-derived structures, why
> is it described as NOT affecting Unix?
> 
> 4) Why do I get a complete blank when I search for "simile" at
> www.cert.org?
> 


Does seem rather non-informative.  However, all the attempts at a virus
for Linux that I've seen:
1. require you, the user, to save it to disk, make it executable, and run
it.
2. only affect whatever you, the user, can affect (and who's dumb enough
to read mail as root anyway?).

Besides, few programs (except Java programs) will run on both OS'.  And
Java has security mechanisms that won't allow what is described above.

Sounds like FUD to me.

Ciao,

David A. Bandel
-- 
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		-- Nemesis Racing Team motto