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
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.Read more
Platform: MSExcel
Microsoft Excel (MS Excel) is a popular spreadsheet program and part of the Microsoft Office productivity suite. Excel files have .xls or .xlsx extensions.Description
This virus infects Excel sheets (XLS files). It contains two macros: auto_open and check_files. While loading an infected document, Excel executes the auto macros auto_open, and the virus gains control. The virus auto_open macro contains just one command that defines the check_files macro as a handler of the OnSheetActivate routine. As a result, the virus hooks the sheet-activate routine, and while opening a sheet, the virus (the check_files macro) gains control.
When the check_files macro gains the control, it searches for PERSONAL.XLS files in the Excel Startup directory, and checks the module count in the current Workbook.
If the infected macro is an active Workbook, and the PERSONAL.XLS file does not exist in the Excel Startup directory (the virus is executed for the first time), the virus creates that file there, and saves its code to that file using the SaveAs command. When Excel is loading its modules the next time, it automatically loads all XLS files from the Startup directory. As a result, the infected PERSONAL.XLS is loaded as well as other files, the virus gains control, and hooks the sheet activation routine.
If the active macro is not infected (there are no modules in the active Workbook), and the PERSONAL.XLS file exists in the Excel directory, the virus copies its code to the active Workbook. As a result the active Workbook is infected.
To check your system for the virus, you should to check PERSONAL.XLS and other XLS files for the string "laroux" that is present in infected sheets.
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