ad info

CNN.com
 MAIN PAGE
 WORLD
 ASIANOW
 U.S.
 LOCAL
 POLITICS
 WEATHER
 BUSINESS
 SPORTS
 TECHNOLOGY
   computing
   personal technology
   space
 NATURE
 ENTERTAINMENT
 BOOKS
 TRAVEL
 FOOD
 HEALTH
 STYLE
 IN-DEPTH

 custom news
 Headline News brief
 daily almanac
 CNN networks
 CNN programs
 on-air transcripts
 news quiz

  CNN WEB SITES:
CNN Websites
 TIME INC. SITES:
 MORE SERVICES:
 video on demand
 video archive
 audio on demand
 news email services
 free email accounts
 desktop headlines
 pointcast
 pagenet

 DISCUSSION:
 message boards
 chat
 feedback

 SITE GUIDES:
 help
 contents
 search

 FASTER ACCESS:
 europe
 japan

 WEB SERVICES:
Computing

From...

Hardware-damaging virus is a worldwide problem

July 22, 1998
Web posted at: 2:50 PM EDT

by Brian McWilliams

(IDG) -- The first virus capable of damaging computer hardware is in the wild, but reports vary on whether it's a serious risk to most PC users.

The CIH virus was first discovered last month in Taiwan. Besides infecting Windows 95, 98, and NT portable executable files, CIH contains a routine that, when triggered, will overwrite the code in the infected PCs system BIOS, the software that's contained in a chip on the PC's motherboard and is loaded on boot-up to control the keyboard, disk drives, and other system functions.

MORE COMPUTING INTELLIGENCE
  IDG.net home page
  PC World home page
  FileWorld find free software fast
  Make your PC work harder with these tips
 Reviews & in-depth info at IDG.net
    IDG.net's desktop PC page
  IDG.net's portable PC page
  IDG.net's Windows software page
  IDG.net's personal news page
  Questions about computers? Let IDG.net's editors help you
  Subscribe to IDG.net's free daily newsletter computer geniuses (& dummies too)
  Search IDG.net in 12 languages

According to Jonathan Wheat of the International Computer Security Association, the result is a major inconvenience.

"It flashes [the BIOS] with a bunch of garbage and basically renders your machine useless because if you [try to] boot up without a BIOS, your machine doesn't boot," explains Wheat. "You actually have to take the chip out and either have it reprogrammed or purchase a new BIOS chip. But you can't do a thing with your computer other than pop your door open until you replace your BIOS chip."

Wheat says that his organization has received no reports of the virus yet from affected users.

But Keith Peer, president of Central Command, which markets AntiViral ToolKit Pro software in the United States, has different picture of CIH.

"This thing is a worldwide problem. We get hundreds of reports per day ... from all over the globe," he says.

Peer says AVP was the first product to detect and disable CIH, which may explain why it's receiving so many reports of the virus. He predicts another big wave of problems this Sunday, since the CIH variant 1.4 triggers on the 26th of each month.

Fortunately, many motherboards have write-protection switches that protect them from the virus, according to Peer. And since the virus only travels in infected executable files, if you don't share applications with other users, you should be safe. Finally, like many damaging viruses, CIH should contain itself somewhat, since it tends to destroy the host that it infects, preventing further infection.

Related stories:
Latest Headlines

Today on CNN

Related IDG.net stories:

Note: Pages will open in a new browser window Related sites:

External sites are not
endorsed by CNN Interactive.

SEARCH CNN.com
Enter keyword(s)   go    help

  
 

Back to the top
© 2000 Cable News Network. All Rights Reserved.
Terms under which this service is provided to you.
Read our privacy guidelines.