I received the following e-mail from my advisor this afternoon.
I don't know anything more than what is listed below, but it
seemed important enough to warrent passing on to you all.
Apparently someone has figured a way to wreak havoc on the
computer world via e-mail. Seeing as how we all probably receive
quite a bit of e-mail, I thought I'd pass this on. Please read
the following messages carefully!! I've deleted some of the
address headers that were in it when I received the message
(it's been forwarded several times), but all the important
stuff is there.
Steve Ellis
P.S. As I said, I cannot offer any further verification of this
bit of news, but I figured you all might appreciate the
warning, just in case.....
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
->Subject: NEW VIRUS 'GOOD TIMES'
>To: Multiple recipients of list VBIOTECH <VBIOTECH@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU>
>>In case you haven't heard.
>>
>>
>> Date: 4/20/1995 3:25 pm (Thursday)
>> From: BOB STURM
>> To: associates
>> Subject: New virus -Reply
>>
>>
>>
>>This message is extremely important. Please read it carefully. It gives
>>one a clear understanding about the threat that computer viruses pose.
>>Thanks to Julia Bail for bringing it to out attention.
>>
>>
>>** High Priority **
>>
>>PLEASE READ THIS CAREFULLY!
>>
>>The following notice came across my internet connect this morning and
>>will be released by DOE-HQ today, although it may be too late in some
>>cases.
>>
>>"There is a new computer virus that is being sent across the Internet.
>>If you receive an email message with the subject line "Good Times,"
>>DO NOT read the message.
>>DELETE it immediately. Please read the messages below.
>>
>>Some miscreant is sending email under the title "good times"
>>nation-wide. If you get anything like this, DON'T
>>DOWNLOAD THE FILE! It has a virus that rewrites your hard drive,
>>obliterating anything on it. Please be careful and forward this mail to
>>anyone you care about.
>>
>>Thought you might like to know...
>>
>>The FCC released a warning last Wednesday concerning a matter of
>>major importance to any regular user of the
>>Internet. Apparently, a new computer virus has been engineered by a
>>user of America Online that is unparalled in its destructive capability.
>>Other, more well-known viruses such as Stoned, Airwolf, and
>>Michaelangelo pale in comparison to the prospects of this newest
>>creation by a warped mentality.
>>
>>What makes this virus so terrifying, said the FCC, is the fact that no
>>program needs to be exchanged for a new computer to be infected. It
>>can be spread through the existing e-mail systems of the InterNet.
>>Once a computer is infected, one of several things can happen. If the
>>computer contains a hard drive, that will most likely be destroyed. If
>>the program is not stopped, the computer's processor will be placed in
>>an nth-complexity infinite binary loop, which can severely damage the
>>processor if left running that way too long. Unfortunately, most novice
>>computer users will not realize what is happening until it is far too late.
>>
>>Luckily, there is one sure means of detecting what is now known as the
>>"Good Times" virus. It always travels to new computers the same way
>>in a test e-mail message with the subject line reading simply "Good
>>Times."
>>
>>Avoiding infection is easy once the file has been received
>>- not reading it.
>>The act of loading the file into the mail server's ASCII buffer causes
>>the "Good Times" mainline program to initialize and execute. The
>>program is highly intelligent - it will send copies of itself to everyone
>>whose e-mail address is contained in a received-mail file or a sent-mail
>>file, if it can find one. It will then trash the computer it is running on.
>>
>>The bottom line here is - if you receive a file with the subject line
>>"Good Times," delete it immediately! Do not read it! Rest assured
>>that whoever's name was on the
>>"From:" line was surely struck by the virus.
>>
>>Warn your friends and local system users of this newest threat to the
>>InterNet! It could save them a lot of time and money."
>>
>>Please pass this on...especially to anyone you know that uses
>>"America Online" regularly.
>>
>>
>>