'Smash' virus more hype than hurt

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July 14, 2000
Web posted at: 4:14 p.m. EDT (2014 GMT)

by Dan Neel

(IDG) -- A virus timed to ruin the 14th day of July for computer users is safely caged and not about to run amok on Friday, according to an official at a computer security vendor.

According to Simon Perry, the vice president of security solutions at Computer Associates International, based in Islandia, N.Y., the so-called "Smash" virus is officially a "zoo virus," meaning it has never been seen outside of the labs of any anti-virus company.

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"We saw [Smash] a few weeks ago and have had protection from it for a while," Perry said. "But what started happening is a couple of the minor anti-virus players in Europe made a fuss about it, even though it's not in the wild. And now it's gotten to the point where we are getting calls from our clients and they were asking what's going on."

Perry said that signature updates to anti-virus software performed during the last two weeks will keep computers immune to the Smash virus, if in fact it is residing on a hard drive.

"It got to the point where there was panic over nothing," Perry said. "But don't panic, it's not going to smash anybody."

Smash affects Windows 95 and 98 machines by waiting on a timer for the 14th of any month, then overriding the data I/O system. The virus then causes the machine to freeze up and display a blue screen with a message from the virus writer that reads "Virus Warning! Virus name is Smash, project D, version 0x0A, Created and compiled by Domitor. Seems like your bad dream comes true."

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According to Perry, if you reboot your computer after receiving message, your entire hard drive "is overwritten with mishmash."

Perry said viruses are classified on three levels as follows.

• Level 3: A zoo virus, meaning the virus has never been seen outside the labs of an anti-virus company



• Level 2: A virus in the field, meaning one or two people have seen it, or the virus is posted on a bulletin board with no evidence it has been downloaded



• Level 1: A virus in the wild, meaning a reasonable number of commercial organizations have it and it seems to be spreading

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