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More on Virus Alert ("good times")

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>Welcome to the fourth issue of CIAC Notes!  This is a special edition to
>clear up recent reports of a "good times" virus-hoax.  Let us know if you
>have topics you would like addressed or have feedback on what is useful and
>what is not.  Please contact the editor, Allan L. Van Lehn, CIAC,
>510-422-8193 or send E-mail to [email protected].
>
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>THE "Good Times" VIRUS IS AN URBAN LEGEND
>
>In the early part of December, CIAC started to receive information requests
>about a supposed "virus" which could be contracted via America OnLine, simply
>by reading a message.  The following is the message that CIAC received:
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>| Here is some important information. Beware of a file called Goodtimes.    |
>|                                                                           |
>|  Happy Chanukah everyone, and be careful out there. There is a virus on   |
>| America Online being sent by E-Mail.  If you get anything called "Good    |
>| Times", DON'T read it or download it.  It is a virus that will erase your |
>| hard drive.  Forward this to all your friends.  It may help them a lot.   |
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>THIS IS A HOAX.  Upon investigation, CIAC has determined that this message
>originated from both a user of America Online and a student at a university
>at approximately the same time, and it was meant to be a hoax.
>
>CIAC has also seen other variations of this hoax, the main one is that any
>electronic mail message with the subject line of "xxx-1" will infect your
>computer.
>
>This rumor has been spreading very widely.  This spread is due mainly to the
>fact that many people have seen a message with "Good Times" in the header.
>They delete the message without reading it, thus believing that they have
>saved themselves from being attacked. These first-hand reports give a false
>sense of credibility to the alert message.
>
>There has been one confirmation of a person who received a message with
>"xxx-1" in the header, but an empty message body.  Then, (in a panic, because
>he had heard the alert), he checked his PC for viruses (the first time he
>checked his machine in months) and found a pre-existing virus on his machine.
> He incorrectly came to the conclusion that the E-mail message gave him the
>virus (this particular virus could NOT POSSIBLY have spread via an E-mail
>message).  This person then spread his alert.
>
>As of this date, there are no known viruses which can infect merely through
>reading a mail message.  For a virus to spread some program must be executed.
>Reading a mail message does not execute the mail message.  Yes, Trojans have
>been found as executable attachments to mail messages, the most notorious
>being the IBM VM Christmas Card Trojan of 1987, also the TERM MODULE Worm
>(reference CIAC Bulletin B-7) and the GAME2 MODULE Worm (CIAC Bulletin B-12).
> But this is not the case for this particular "virus" alert.
>
>If you encounter this message being distributed on any mailing lists, simply
>ignore it or send a follow-up message stating that this is a false rumor.
>
>Karyn Pichnarczyk
>CIAC Team
>[email protected]
>
>
>- ------------------------------
>Contacting CIAC
>
>If you require additional assistance or wish to report a vulnerability, call
>CIAC at 510-422-8193, fax messages to 510-423-8002 or send E-mail to
>[email protected].  For emergencies and off-hour assistance, call 1-800-SKY-PAGE
>(759-7243) and enter PIN number 8550070 (primary) or 8550074 (secondary).
>The CIAC Duty Officer, a rotating responsibility, carries the primary
>skypager. The Project Leader carries the secondary skypager.  If you are
>unable to contact CIAC via phone, please use the skypage system.
>
>- ------------------------------
>This document was prepared as an account of work sponsored by an agency of
>the United States Government.  Neither the United States Government nor the
>University of California nor any of their employees, makes any warranty,
>express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the
>accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product,
>or process disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately
>owned rights.  Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process,
>or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not
>necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation or favoring
>by the United States Government or the University of California.  The views
>and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect
>those of the United States Government or the University of California, and
>shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.
>
>- ------------------------------
>End of CIAC Notes Number 94-04  94_12_06

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