Registered: Mar 2000
Location: Hacienda Heights, Ca
Posts: 302

Here is a new Article regarding a new Palm virus.

"a virus was uncovered that does multiply -- and wreaks havoc.

Dubbed PalmOS/Phage.1325., this hungry new creature quietly infects an application when it is launched. The bug fills the device with a black box, killing the function. It makes it seem as though files have been killed when they really haven't been."

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Bret Snyder<BR>If you don't know where you're going,<BR>You'll probably end up somewhere else.

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: Redwood City CA
Posts: 472

Well, that's a bummer. I imagine that McAfee's servers are clogged just now...

Registered: Nov 1999
Location: dynamic!
Posts: 189

F-secure acknowledges this threat.

http://www.f-secure.com/palm/
I've added this to my bookmarks.

I'm not certain why the download hyperlink leads to a page indicating that the file is not avalaible for download. It was...how do you say in english?.. uhh... anti-climatic.

Perhaps I'm using the wrong term, but I wonder if this "Phage.936" a 'variant' of the "Phage.1325", and if there's anything in between.

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"The Greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance -- it is the illusion of knowledge." -- Daniel Borstin

Registered: Jan 2000
Location: Monroe, Michigan, USA
Posts: 244

I downloaded F-Secure's antivirus .prc a few days ago. When I tried to "install" it on the Palm OS Emulator (running my Visor's ROM), I got a message saying the file could not be installed because "the file is too small to contain all the information it claims to have." Weird.

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"Yeah, he can talk. It's gettin' him to shut up that's the trick!"
-Shrek

Registered: Mar 2000
Location: McLean, VA USA
Posts: 216

If you read the blurb about the virus it also states that the virus "hasn't been found in the wild". Don't wait to get the fix, but there doesn't seem to be a reason to panic either.

Here are a couple of quotes from the technical description on the F-Secure web site:

"Phage has not been found in the wild and can not be considered a serious threat at this time"

"Phage can spread from one Palm to another if infected files are shared via beaming or installed via a docking station."

It seems that this virus, should it ever get loose, should be fairly simple to contain. Don't share files without checking the other person's system first. Download software from one of the reputable sites (e.g. PalmGear, Palm.Tucows.com, etc) only. Backup often so that your data will be protected should you become infected. Practice "safe pda"!

Here's the link to the F-Secure technical description:

http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/phage.htm

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What the Heck! It's what I want!

Registered: Oct 1999
Location: Alberta, Canada
Posts: 34

Are there any other conspiracy theorists out there? From the article:

"Mere hours after it was reported F-Secure Corp. jumped into action with a remedy -- F-Secure Anti-Virus for Palm -- a protection program which runs on the Palm PDA itself."

I've used anti-virus software from this company in the past and was happy with it. But isn't it just a *little* odd that a company made a brand new application available for new platform in only a few hours after the first "official" virus is reported?

Scully, Mulder, what do you have to say?

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Too err is human, to moo bovine.

Registered: Sep 1999
Location: Sydney Australia
Posts: 1883

quote:

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Originally posted by Ratbertio
Are there any other conspiracy theorists out there? From the article:

"Mere hours after it was reported F-Secure Corp. jumped into action with a remedy -- F-Secure Anti-Virus for Palm -- a protection program which runs on the Palm PDA itself."

I've used anti-virus software from this company in the past and was happy with it. But isn't it just a *little* odd that a company made a brand new application available for new platform in only a few hours after the first "official" virus is reported?

Scully, Mulder, what do you have to say?

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<IMG WIDTH="200" HEIGHT="50" SRC=http://www.visorcentral.com/images/visorcentral.gif> VisorCentral Discussion Moderator
Do files get embarrassed when they get unzipped?

Registered: Jun 2000
Location: Corpus Christi, Texas, USA
Posts: 181

quote:

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Originally posted by ToolkiT
Just be carefull with what you download....

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