Virus.Win9x.Begemot

Parent class: VirWare

Viruses and worms are malicious programs that self-replicate on computers or via computer networks without the user being aware; each subsequent copy of such malicious programs is also able to self-replicate. Malicious programs which spread via networks or infect remote machines when commanded to do so by the “owner” (e.g. Backdoors) or programs that create multiple copies that are unable to self-replicate are not part of the Viruses and Worms subclass. The main characteristic used to determine whether or not a program is classified as a separate behaviour within the Viruses and Worms subclass is how the program propagates (i.e. how the malicious program spreads copies of itself via local or network resources.) Most known worms are spread as files sent as email attachments, via a link to a web or FTP resource, via a link sent in an ICQ or IRC message, via P2P file sharing networks etc. Some worms spread as network packets; these directly penetrate the computer memory, and the worm code is then activated. Worms use the following techniques to penetrate remote computers and launch copies of themselves: social engineering (for example, an email message suggesting the user opens an attached file), exploiting network configuration errors (such as copying to a fully accessible disk), and exploiting loopholes in operating system and application security. Viruses can be divided in accordance with the method used to infect a computer:

• file viruses
• boot sector viruses
• macro viruses
• script viruses

Any program within this subclass can have additional Trojan functions. It should also be noted that many worms use more than one method in order to spread copies via networks.

Class: Virus

Viruses replicate on the resources of the local machine. Unlike worms, viruses do not use network services to propagate or penetrate other computers. A copy of a virus will reach remote computers only if the infected object is, for some reason unrelated to the virus function, activated on another computer. For example: when infecting accessible disks, a virus penetrates a file located on a network resource a virus copies itself to a removable storage device or infects a file on a removable device a user sends an email with an infected attachment.

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Platform: Win9x

No platform description

Description

Technical Details

This is a dangerous memory resident parasitic polymorphic Windows virus about 8Kb in length. The virus installs itself into the Windows memory and infects PE EXE files that are accessed.

The virus uses system calls that are valid under Win95/98 only, and can't spread under NT. The virus also has bugs, and often halts the system when run. The virus uses several unusual routines in its code: it keeps its code encrypted and compressed in infected files (while installing, it decompresses it); infects RAR archives (adds infected BEER.EXE file to archives); runs a thread that can communicate with an external module, which controls the virus (for example, enables/disables infection routine).

The virus also looks for "AVP Monitor" and "Amon Antivirus Monitor" windows, and closes them; deletes several anti-virus data files; and depending on the system timer, displays a message.

The virus also contains the "copyright" text:

 Virus Win98.BeGemot by Benny/29A

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