New Worm Erases Hard Drives

[Phantasm66]

Well its been a whole week now or something since there was a virus security scare and its time for a new one. We couldn't have you thinking that it was safe to use a computer, after all!

Known as "W32.Holar.C@mm" (by Symantec's Anti-virus Research Center), or W32/SfxDeth.A-MM, the worm spreads by using an e-mail message which says something along the lines of "Fwd: Crazy Illegal Sex!" or something as equally "tasteful". It also has a fairly explicit message body, which borders on referencing paedophilia. Oh, how mature you are, virus writer!

The worm creates an "MPLAYER.EXE" file that will execute every time the system is started, obviously trying to disguise itself as Windows Media Player. It will then delete all files on drives lettered D, E, F, or G. Now, can anyone spot the point in that one other than mindless, childish destruction? Nope? Answers on a post card here if you can.

Mind you, maybe anyone that reads and follows an e-mail that references child pornography deserves to get their HDD trashed anyway? What do you think?

More here and here.

 

[poertner_1274]

Yes Phantasmm, this is quite childish. It is the same as the one that is going around deleting all of your mp3's. Sometimes I don't see the point in this sort of thing.

Just a note to everyone out there, to be extra careful when downloading things off the net, and with emails you are not sure who it is from.

 

[Vehementi]

:haha: That 'someone' that's deleting all your files is a virus called the 'RIAA'.

Ehehehe people like me, with a ridiculous amount of partitions, are the only ones in danger...since it doesn't delete C:

I always knew that child pr0n was gonna come back and bite me in the *** someday

 

[Mictlantecuhtli]

Originally posted by Vehementi
people like me, with a ridiculous amount of partitions, are the only ones in danger...since it doesn't delete C:

System partition doesn't need to be C:.

 

[Vehementi]

In most cases it is, though. It's better if it is, because it's the first partition on the inside track on the hard drive, thus with much better performance...

 

[Rick]

Just unmotivated, random, mindless malevolance! I like it!..... Egh.

Just goes to show you don't have to be an intellectual to write viruses.

 

[Rick]

Originally posted by Vehementi
In most cases it is, though. It's better if it is, because it's the first partition on the inside track on the hard drive, thus with much better performance...

Isn't the outer edge of the track the fastest? Both the inside and the outside maintain the same RPMs, but there's much more track to read on the outside, where the data tracks are longer. Does that make sense, or am I wrong?

Also, I'm curious about partitioning and positioning.. Do partitions really get placed according to physical locations? In this case, would last or first partitions get the best performance/locations?

 

[MrGaribaldi]

According to a partition guide Phantasm posted a link to, the first partition is allways placed on the outer track of the drive... This is smart for OS and Swap file... (Certain progams will place the swap file at the utmost track to ensure max performance...)

I'll see if I can find the guide and the exact quote...

 

[MrGaribaldi]

Phantasm66 post is here...

And the relevant part of the guide (when it comes to speed) is here

In other words, the drive's read/write heads won't have to travel (seek) to the far end of the drive (during normal system usage). This will provide you with a more responsive system by decreasing the drive's effective seek/access time.

 

[Vehementi]

Yeah, that was a typo on my part...I meant outer :dead:

How else would they do it Rick? Like a pie? :stickout:

First partition (C: ) would get the best performance.

Although, if you partition and you leave free space in the middle, then you format it later, that part. will be the last drive letter. Of course