VIRUS AND DUAL BOOT

BOWERSOX＠bucknell.edu

30 Oct 2003 30 Oct '03

04:21

I am new to linux. I am running suse 8.2 pro. I am running a dual boot with windows me. I use the linux for 99% of the time. I use kmail for all emailings. My question is with this set up, if a virus is sent to me can it seek out windows? Or since linux is running it will not work? And what anti virus do you folks think is the best to use? I get lots of emails as being the webmaster. I got hit with a virus a while back while running stright windows. Thanks.

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Curtis Rey

30 Oct 30 Oct

05:32

New subject: [SLE] VIRUS AND DUAL BOOT

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 On Wednesday 29 October 2003 20:21, BOWERSOX@bucknell.edu wrote:

...

I am new to linux. I am running suse 8.2 pro. I am running a dual boot with windows me. I use the linux for 99% of the time. I use kmail for all emailings. My question is with this set up, if a virus is sent to me can it seek out windows? Or since linux is running it will not work? And what anti virus do you folks think is the best to use? I get lots of emails as being the webmaster. I got hit with a virus a while back while running stright windows. Thanks.

- -- Since Windblows isn't running the virus is in 99.99% completely ineffective. There is no environment for it to exploit. Generally the want to exploit an ActiveX, *.VBS, etc code and there's nothing there for the virus to use. Think of it like trying to run a win app in Linux - it does nothing. Now if you have a Wine setup and it is executed that way it might cause some problem, most like just screwing up your win setup in your home dir. The same might apply in a VMware or Win4Lin setup as well, but other than that they're essentially null. HTH, Curtis. - --- Those who throw objects at the crocodiles will be asked to retrieve them. NOTICE TO SPAMMERS: NO TRESPASSING. Violators will be shot. Survivors will be shot again. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.2-rc1-SuSE (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQE/oKJeiqnGhdjCOJsRApOAAJwIyVCzwTXnM7XdTKpxfwK1OYxQsQCcDiU4 XMua2PcLAmeJmFqy/zwJuu0= =zWH6 -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

lee

28 Oct 28 Oct

22:31

New subject: [SLE] VIRUS AND DUAL BOOT

...

I am new to linux. I am running suse 8.2 pro. I am running a dual boot with windows me. I use the linux for 99% of the time. I use kmail for all emailings. My question is with this set up, if a virus is sent to me can it seek out windows? Or since linux is running it will not work? And what anti virus do you folks think is the best to use? I get lots of emails as being the webmaster. I got hit with a virus a while back while running stright windows. Thanks.

-- Since Windblows isn't running the virus is in 99.99% completely ineffective. There is no environment for it to exploit. Generally the want to exploit an ActiveX, *.VBS, etc code and there's nothing there for the virus to use. Think of it like trying to run a win app in Linux - it does nothing. Now if you have a Wine setup and it is executed that way it might cause some problem, most like just screwing up your win setup in your home dir. The same might apply in a VMware or Win4Lin setup as well, but other than that they're essentially null. HTH, Curtis. Ok, now seems we had this discussion sometime ago, seems also we came up with the decision that a virus aimed at the boot sector could in fact due some harm ? Is this still correct, or did I miss a post ? Thank you all for your time..

david stevenson

30 Oct 30 Oct

12:09

New subject: [SLE] VIRUS AND DUAL BOOT

On Tuesday 28 October 2003 10:31 pm, lee wrote:

...

...
I am new to linux. I am running suse 8.2 pro. I am running a dual boot with windows me. I use the linux for 99% of the time. I use kmail for all emailings. My question is with this set up, if a virus is sent to me can it seek out windows? Or since linux is running it will not work? And what anti virus do you folks think is the best to use? I get lots of emails as being the webmaster. I got hit with a virus a while back while running stright windows. Thanks.

Since Windblows isn't running the virus is in 99.99% completely ineffective. There is no environment for it to exploit. Generally the want to exploit an ActiveX, *.VBS, etc code and there's nothing there for the virus to use. Think of it like trying to run a win app in Linux - it does nothing. Now if you have a Wine setup and it is executed that way it might cause some problem, most like just screwing up your win setup in your home dir. The same might apply in a VMware or Win4Lin setup as well, but other than that they're essentially null.

HTH, Curtis.

...

Ok, now seems we had this discussion sometime ago, seems also we came up with the decision that a virus aimed at the boot sector could in fact due some harm ? Is this still correct, or did I miss a post ?

Thank you all for your time..

I agree with Curtis, any virus has to been run before it can do any harm. If you are running windows, and run a virus (say by opening an email) then it "could" destroy any disk information including boot sectors or linux partitions. If you are running linux it is possible to set you system to run some windows programs, via wine, dosemu, or similar. This would allow the possibility of a virus to run. However none of those emulators should be run with root privileges so the damage they can do is far more limited than under windows. David

Carl William Spitzer IV

18:50

New subject: [SLE] VIRUS AND DUAL BOOT

I brought a boot sector virus home from the local university on floppy. FProt detected it but would not remove while it was in memory. I tried going to linux and rebuilding the Lilo but the virus was still there. I cheated and told Fprot to clean ignoring memory and rebooted. I did this three times. Ran Fprot one last time maximum scan. No virus found. CWSIV On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 17:31:11 -0500 lee writes:

...

...
I am new to linux. I am running suse 8.2 pro. I am running a dual boot

...

...
windows me. I use the linux for 99% of the time. I use kmail for all emailings. My question is with this set up, if a virus is sent to me can it seek out windows? Or since linux is running it will not work? And what anti virus do you folks think is the best to use? I get lots of emails as being the webmaster. I got hit with a virus a while back while running stright windows. Thanks.

--

Since Windblows isn't running the virus is in 99.99% completely ineffecti>ve. There is no environment for it to exploit. Generally the want to exploit an ActiveX, *.VBS, etc code and there's nothing there for the virus to use. Think of it like trying to run a win app in Linux - it does nothing. Now if you have a Wine setup and it is executed that way it might cause some problem, most like just screwing up your win setup in your home dir. The same might apply in a VMware or Win4Lin setup as well, but other than

with that

...

they're essentially null.

________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!

lee

29 Oct 29 Oct

20:46

New subject: [SLE] VIRUS AND DUAL BOOT

Interesting CWSIV, but no adverse effects booting while the virus ws still in your boot sector ? A windows virus in a Linux boot sector... Lee On Thursday 30 October 2003 13:50, Carl William Spitzer IV wrote:

...

I brought a boot sector virus home from the local university on floppy. FProt detected it but would not remove while it was in memory. I tried going to linux and rebuilding the Lilo but the virus was still there. I cheated and told Fprot to clean ignoring memory and rebooted. I did this three times. Ran Fprot one last time maximum scan. No virus found.

CWSIV

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 17:31:11 -0500 lee writes:

...
...
I am new to linux. I am running suse 8.2 pro. I am running a dual boot

with

...
...
windows me. I use the linux for 99% of the time. I use kmail for all emailings. My question is with this set up, if a virus is sent to me

can it

...
...
seek out windows? Or since linux is running it will not work? And what

anti

...
...
virus do you folks think is the best to use? I get lots of emails as

being

...
...
the webmaster. I got hit with a virus a while back while running

stright

...
...
windows. Thanks.

--

Since Windblows isn't running the virus is in 99.99% completely

ineffecti>ve.

...
There is no environment for it to exploit. Generally the want to

exploit an

...
ActiveX, *.VBS, etc code and there's nothing there for the virus to use. Think of it like trying to run a win app in Linux - it does nothing.

Now if

...
you have a Wine setup and it is executed that way it might cause some problem, most like just screwing up your win setup in your home dir.

The

...
same might apply in a VMware or Win4Lin setup as well, but other than

that

...
they're essentially null.

________________________________________________________________ The best thing to hit the internet in years - Juno SpeedBand! Surf the web up to FIVE TIMES FASTER! Only $14.95/ month - visit www.juno.com to sign up today!

Carlos E. R.

31 Oct 31 Oct

21:27

New subject: [SLE] VIRUS AND DUAL BOOT

The Wednesday 2003-10-29 at 15:46 -0500, lee wrote:

...

Interesting CWSIV, but no adverse effects booting while the virus ws still in your boot sector ? A windows virus in a Linux boot sector...

No. The virus was surely in the Windows boot sector, that is started by lilo, not in the lilo boot sector, which usually is on the mbr. Running lilo doesn't affect boot sector programs for the other systems. -- Cheers, Carlos Robinson

Carl William Spitzer IV

18:36

New subject: [SLE] VIRUS AND DUAL BOOT

I told fprot to skip memory scan and clean the boot sector anyway. I immediately performed a reboot. CWSIV On Wed, 29 Oct 2003 15:46:10 -0500 lee writes:

...

Interesting CWSIV, but no adverse effects booting while the virus ws stil= l in=20 your boot sector ? A windows virus in a Linux boot sector...

Lee

On Thursday 30 October 2003 13:50, Carl William Spitzer IV wrote:

...
I brought a boot sector virus home from the local university on floppy. FProt detected it but would not remove while it was in memory. I tried going to linux and rebuilding the Lilo but the virus was still there. I cheated and told Fprot to clean ignoring memory and rebooted. I did this three times. Ran Fprot one last time maximum scan. No virus found.

CWSIV

On Tue, 28 Oct 2003 17:31:11 -0500 lee writes:

...
...
I am new to linux. I am running suse 8.2 pro. I am running a dual bo= ot

with

...
...
windows me. I use the linux for 99% of the time. I use kmail for all

Carl William Spitzer IV

3 Nov 3 Nov

01:26

New subject: [SLE] VIRUS AND DUAL BOOT

To solve such problems you must remember that virus writers are unconventional thinkers writing to fool conventional minds. Most people faced witha virus in memory which interfears with running the cleanup program would call a tech and pay $40+. I cheated told fProt to clean the boot sector and ignore memory then I rebooted the box. Went three rounds for good measure than on the fourth pass ran the scanner full out check everything. also as a precaution against burrowing viruses I use a script for a clean install of fprot from a directory not in the path running from a directory whose name is specified at run time and removed after the program runs. sometimes winning means being a sneekly little hacker. CWSIV On Fri, 31 Oct 2003 22:27:22 +0100 (CET) "Carlos E. R." writes:

...

The Wednesday 2003-10-29 at 15:46 -0500, lee wrote:

...
Interesting CWSIV, but no adverse effects booting while the virus ws still in your boot sector ? A windows virus in a Linux boot sector...

No. The virus was surely in the Windows boot sector, that is started by lilo, not in the lilo boot sector, which usually is on the mbr. Running lilo doesn't affect boot sector programs for the other systems.

-- Cheers, Carlos Robinson

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BOWERSOX＠bucknell.edu
Carl William Spitzer IV
Carlos E. R.
Curtis Rey
david stevenson
lee