************************************************************************** Security Bulletin 9517 DISA Defense Communications System April 24, 1995 Published by: DDN Security Coordination Center (SCC@NIC.DDN.MIL) 1-(800) 365-3642 DEFENSE DATA NETWORK SECURITY BULLETIN The DDN SECURITY BULLETIN is distributed by the DDN SCC (Security Coordination Center) under DISA contract as a means of communicating information on network and host security exposures, fixes, and concerns to security and management personnel at DDN facilities. Back issues may be obtained via FTP (or Kermit) from NIC.DDN.MIL [192.112.36.5] using login="anonymous" and password="guest". The bulletin pathname is scc/ddn-security-yynn (where "yy" is the year the bulletin is issued and "nn" is a bulletin number, e.g. scc/ddn-security-9428). ************************************************************************** + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + ! ! ! The following important advisory was issued by the Automated ! ! Systems Security Incident Support Team (ASSIST) and is being ! ! relayed unedited via the Defense Information Systems Agency's ! ! Security Coordination Center distribution system as a means ! ! of providing DDN subscribers with useful security information. ! ! ! + - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - + <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Automated Systems Security Incident Support Team _____ ___ ___ _____ ___ _____ | / /\ / \ / \ | / \ | | / Integritas / \ \___ \___ | \___ | | < et /____\ \ \ | \ | | \ Celeritas / \ \___/ \___/ __|__ \___/ | |_____\ <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Bulletin 95-15 Release date: 24 April, 1995, 3:30 PM EDT (GMT -4) SUBJECT: E-mail virus is a hoax. SUMMARY: ASSIST has received numerous requests for information about a computer virus virus known as "Good Times" that is traversing the Internet and infects systems through e-mail. THE GOOD TIMES VIRUS MESSAGE IS A HOAX. DO NOT FORWARD THE MESSAGE ON GOOD TIMES TO OTHER PERSONS AND PROPAGATE THE RUMOR FURTHER. BACKGROUND: The Good Times hoax was initiated in late 1994 and after investigation the origination of the message was traced to a student at a university site and a user of America Online. There have been several variations of the message with a basic theme of "this electronic mail message with the subject line of "xxx-1" will infect your computer". The spread of the hoax was accelerated when many people saw a a message with "Good Times" in the header. They deleted 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. The initial Good Times incident ended in December 1994 and there was virtually no traffic on the subject until early April 1995 when another round of hoax messages began circulating on the network. The most common April 1995 version of the message contained references to public statements from the Federal Communications Commission and America Online as to Good Times being verified as a legitamate virus. This second round of Good Times messages is also a hoax and based on the same false reports as the 1994 Good Times messages. As of this time, there are no known viruses which can infect merely through reading a mail message, for a virus to infect and spread a file must be executed. Simply reading a text message does not cause execution of any files. It would be possible for malicious code to be transferred as an attachment or within the body (i.e uuencoded) of a message, but then the file would have to be decoded and separate action taken outside of a mailer to execute the file. In addition, it would be extremely difficult for malicious code to be written to infect an environment as diverse as the Internet. There are so many different types and versions of operating systems and mailers in use on the Internet that writing a piece of code that would succesfully infect any recipient of an e-mail message would be highly unlikely. It has been suggested that, theoretically, e-mail could be used to deliver and activate malicious code in mailers that would have some type of embedded automated services. An example was given of "invisible" escape sequences which affect screen display or program the keyboard to do some malicious action when some key is "accidently" pressed. This could be done through a file that remaps keys when displayed on a PC/MS-DOS machine with the ANSI.SYS driver loaded. However, this only works on MS-DOS machines with the text displayed on the screen in text mode. It would not work in Windows or in most text editors or mailers. A key could be remapped to produce any command sequence when pressed, for example DEL or FORMAT. However, the command is not issued until the remapped key is pressed and the command issued by the remapped key would be visible on the screen. You could protect yourself by removing ANSI.SYS from the CONFIG.SYS file, but many DOS programs use the functionality of ANSI.SYS to control screen functions and colors. Windows programs are not effected by ANSI.SYS, though a DOS program running in Windows would be. IMPACT: DoD personnel take unnecessary time and effort in response to a problem that does not exist. RECOMMENDED SOLUTIONS: Do not forward a notice about the Good Times virus to any other persons. Normal policy should be to scan any executable file received from any source for malicious code. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> ASSIST is an element of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Center for Information Systems Security (CISS), that provides service to the entire DoD community. Constituents of the DoD with questions about ASSIST or computer security security issues, can contact ASSIST using one of the methods listed below. Non-DoD organizations/institutions, contact the Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) (FIRST) representative. To obtain a list of FIRST member organizations and their constituencies send an email to docserver@first.org with an empty "subject" line and a message body containing the line "send first-contacts". ASSIST Information Resources: To be included in the distribution list for the ASSIST bulletins, send your Milnet (Internet) e-mail address to assist-request@assist.mil. Back issues of ASSIST bulletins, and other security related information, are available from the ASSIST BBS at 703-756-7993/1154 DSN 289-7993/1154, and through anonymous FTP from assist.mil (IP address 199.211.123.11). Note: assist.mil will only accept anonymous FTP connections from Milnet addresses that are registered with the NIC or DNS. ASSIST Contact Information: PHONE: 800-357-4231 (or 703-756-7974 DSN 289), duty hours are 06:00 to 22:30 EDT (GMT -4) Monday through Friday. During off duty hours, weekends and holidays, ASSIST can be reached via pager at 800-791- 4857. The page will be answered within 30 minutes, however if a quicker response is required, prefix the phone number with "999". ELECTRONIC MAIL: Send to assist@assist.mil. ASSIST BBS: Leave a message for the "sysop". Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by ASSIST. The views and opinions of authors expressed herein shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes. **************************************************************************** * * * The point of contact for MILNET security-related incidents is the * * Security Coordination Center (SCC). * * * * E-mail address: SCC@NIC.DDN.MIL * * * * Telephone: 1-(800)-365-3642 * * * * NIC Help Desk personnel are available from 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. EST, * * Monday through Friday except on federal holidays. * * * **************************************************************************** PLEASE NOTE: Some users outside of the DOD computing communities may receive DDN Security bulletins. If you are not part of the DOD community, please contact your agency's incident response team to report incidents. Your agency's team will coordinate with DOD. The Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams (FIRST) is a world-wide organization. A list of FIRST member organizations and their constituencies can be obtained by sending email to docserver@first.org with an empty subject line and a message body containing the line: send first-contacts. This document was prepared as an service to the DOD community. Neither the United States Government nor any of their employees, makes any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, 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. The opinions of the authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government, and shall not be used for advertising or product endorsement purposes.