Computer Viruses

[zeko]

There are millions of computer viruses in the world of computing. If there's already a thread - I apologize.

 

So computer  viruses, can make some nasty things on your personal computer. Mostly worms, which can cause a total damage to a PC. Well, I had ones in the previous versions of Windows (Windows XP & 7) and I didn't even found a solution until I heard about anti-virus program and start clearing out. First was Panda anti-virus, then Avira. But now I use Malwarebytes and Windows Defender. I didn't got a virus on my PC, only some "hotkeys". I'd let you know for some dangerous viruses you shouldn't not try on your main PC, but on virtual machine by OrangeBox. If you are a virus tester, I recommend you doing this:

 

- If virus is connected to internet, turn off your internet on your virtual machine

- See if does the damage on your virtual machine (optional, never use this on your main PC)

- Then delete that part of Windows (if possible). 

- If you want another virus to test, turn on your virtual machine and start doing this:

 

1. Use your internet

2. Find the virus

3. Open the program

4. Turn off your internet, because the viruses can be internet-spread.

 

Now if you try to get away from viruses, here's the best solution I got:

 

- Check for any damage if virus/worm has done, if it has done too much then you can do this solution: Open your command prompt on administrator and start coding. There are several Youtube videos about it.

- Always install a anti-virus program to check if there's a virus/worm that the anti-virus program can clear it out. If it doesn't, then try the same method (Open command prompt on administrator).

- If command prompt on administrator is disabled, and the Task Manager too, try to turn off your internet from the computer and try to find someone expert that can fix it.

 

Now there's viruses you should never download, but you can test:

 

- CIH virus, known as the Chernobyl virus. Created by a student in Taiwan. It shows you a blue screen and it shuts down your BIOS. That means you can't use your PC anymore, buy a new one if needed.

- Skorpion virus, it restarts your PC then it shows you a code that you can't even type correctly, your PC is dead

- MyDoom virus, (I don't know what it does do, but it can take serious damage to your PC).

 

 

[Guest]

13 hours ago, ZekoX said:

 

- CIH virus, known as the Chernobyl virus. Created by a student in Taiwan. It shows you a blue screen and it shuts down your BIOS. That means you can't use your PC anymore, buy a new one if needed.

 

 

 

Are second hand PC's ok to buy?

[SilverRST]

3 hours ago, Purevil said:

 

Are second hand PC's ok to buy?

Yes. But always check it before you actually buy it. Always go to the seller and test it if it's all working. If the seller refuses, don't buy it.

[yoječ]

18 hours ago, ZekoX said:

- CIH virus, known as the Chernobyl virus. Created by a student in Taiwan. It shows you a blue screen and it shuts down your BIOS. That means you can't use your PC anymore, buy a new one if needed.

- MyDoom virus, (I don't know what it does do, but it can take serious damage to your PC).

CIH won't damage the BIOS of any of the modern PCs. It was written for the '93-95 era computers.
MyDoom doesn't affect the target PC itself and certainly won't damage it. However, it uses your PC as a "zombie" to facilitate DDoS attacks on other computers. That's why it won't destroy your PC, that would go against its purpose.

Honestly, unless you really know what you're doing, I'd avoid testing the viruses completely, even on virtual machines. It's quite easy to make a mistake (running the virus on the wrong machine, leaving the shared folders accessible, etc.), and some viruses are known to detect if they're running on a VM anyway - they might either behave differently (less "aggresive" to make analysis harder), or try to abuse the VM vulnerabilities and escape from the sandbox (yes, that might be possible in some cases).

4 hours ago, Purevil said:

Are second hand PC's ok to buy?

If you're concerned about CIH, then as I said - that's not an issue. However, it'd be advisable to wipe the disk completely clean before usage - not just formatting the partitions. Some viruses might reside in the MBR, etc.

Technically, some of the viruses might reside in the firmware of the computer's components, but that's not a common attack vector and not something you should worry about. Just don't get paranoid.

[sivispacem]

This was clearlt written by someone with little to no understanding of malware.