Virus piggy backing on freeware files

[pigtailsboy]

Recently downloaded alchemist. Was playing the mission when my system went down. I can't be sure of where I picked up the virus but I thought I should check out here first. Other options would be AS custom maps or photo files.

 

Virus had the affect of shutting down windows without warning, some times immediately sometimes after a few minutes. Eventually after a manual shut down my OS no longer available. So I'm checking with the community here to see if this problem persists with any of you or if someone can check that the files and rars haven't been compromised or that something hidden didn't hitch a lift with the rars.

[lost_soul]

Eeek! I'm not sure if a virus could be delivered in game files, because they're (usually) not executable code. However, if there is a flaw in the OS, like a buffer-overflow attack, a specifically crafted image can actually execute code on the machine. This sort of thing happens more often than it should...

[Serpentine]

Virus etc etc

 

Did you actually detect a virus/other malicious item? Did removing it solve your problem? If you didn't find something, are you sure its not hardware, overheating etc?

 

I have my doubts as to it being in an FM, but if you did find something I'd have no problem having a dig around the fm/mirrors to double check

[aidakeeley]

Calling Randi...

[lost_soul]

Yeah my cousin used to have a virus that would pop up messages in XP telling him his machine was going to shut down in 1 minute, with no (easy) way to abort it. Does that happen, or does it just shut down all of a sudden?

[Komag]

I too am a bit skeptical about this being a virus, but even if it is, then I'm still VERY skeptical about it coming from one of our mission downloads

[rich_is_bored]

Random reboots sound more like bad RAM than a virus.

[Fidcal]

I had this at one time with the trainer and also I think for a time during development of my current FM - might have been while I was trying to optimize some big visportals in the city area. I saw black for a few seconds then very briefly the blue screen then reboot.

 

My guess is that it is a normal CTD but also screws up Windows or RAM management somewhere. We used to see blue screens much more commonly years ago but that doesn't mean that Windows is now perfect and traps everything.

 

BTW are you using either of the Alchemist patches and what date did you download (because the combination lock patch was included in an FM update but the spiky ball one remains a separate patch.) The spiky ball bug was the one that CTDed but only on some systems. The combo lock didn't cause a crash just failed to work properly in some situations.

[SneaksieDave]

I was experiencing similar years ago when my video card fan died.

[stumpy]

could also be a bad sector on the harddrive, they also cause crashes to blue screen. or your hard drive might need defragging, as that sometimes fixes ctd's.

[aidakeeley]

Could be poltergeists. Which is, of course, BS. But still more likely than the rars that the FMs come wrapped in...

 

Could be angry army ants and/or hostile homeless honey bees.

[Komag]

meandering murderous mutilating mischief-causing mites!

[aidakeeley]

Bugz

[pigtailsboy]

Eeek! I'm not sure if a virus could be delivered in game files, because they're (usually) not executable code. However, if there is a flaw in the OS, like a buffer-overflow attack, a specifically crafted image can actually execute code on the machine. This sort of thing happens more often than it should...

 

That's why I'm slowly annexing all the internet content in my fotos till I can organize it and weed out anything that might be the problem.

 

Any way to scan images or files or decrypt a exe in a file?

[PranQster]

A random reboot is likely an issue with RAM. If it is a shutdown (power off), it could be a poorly attached heatsink on the CPU (or excess application of thermal compound, maybe?). Either problem could also be due to a flaky power supply (if you have a cheapo Antec PSU, throw that crap out).

Most "viruses" these days cause a drop in performance, rather than a shutdown. That is unless of course the "virus" is, itself, buggy due to poor programming.

The term "virus" (self replicating program) is thrown around so loosely these days, and most programs which are called such are trojan horses.

Edited September 18, 2010 by PranQster

[pigtailsboy]

A random reboot is likely an issue with RAM. If it is a shutdown (power off), it could be a poorly attached heatsink on the CPU (or excess application of thermal compound, maybe?). Either problem could also be due to a flaky power supply (if you have a cheapo Antec PSU, throw that crap out).

Most "viruses" these days cause a drop in performance, rather than a shutdown. That is unless of course the "virus" is, itself, buggy due to poor programming.

The term "virus" (self replicating program) is thrown around so loosely these days, and most programs which are called such are trojan horses.

 

Well I'll put it this way, there was a worm and it screwed things up so the OS wouldn't operate. That coincided with the keyboard failing somehow where any and all keys resulted in a system crash. Over heating was my first thought but wasn't the issue.

 

I haven't had another problem but I'm hesitant to use dark mod right now. Doing other things in the meantime.