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Virus Profile: W97M/Smdm.a

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Virus Profile information details
Risk Assessment: Home Low | Corporate Low
Date Discovered: 3/7/2002
Date Added: 5/16/2002
Origin: Unknown
Length: N/A
Type: Virus
Subtype: Macro
DAT Required: 4202
Removal Instructions
   
 
 
   

Description

This is a virus detection. Viruses are programs that self-replicate recursively, meaning that infected systems spread the virus to other systems, which then propagate the virus further. While many viruses contain a destructive payload, it's quite common for viruses to do nothing more than spread from one system to another.

Indication of Infection

If the infected file is opened on the 5th day in March, June, September or December, all files and folders from the C drive will be deleted upon reboot of the system.

Methods of Infection

Opening an infected document will directly infect the local Word environment and any document opened thereafter.

Aliases

W97M.SMDM.A, W97M_Makelove.A
   

Virus Characteristics

This threat is detected as W97M/SMDM. The virus contains one module - Module1 and it will turn off the macro warning feature of Word 97. It will also disable Tools/Macro and Tools/Visual Basic Editor. On the 5th day of March, June, September or December, the virus will edit c:\autoexec.bat to delete all files and folders from the C drive.

   
Use current engine and DAT files for detection and removal.

It is very common for macro viruses to disable options within Office applications for example in Word, the macro protection warning commonly is disabled. After cleaning macro viruses, ensure that your previously set options are again enabled.

AVERT Recommended Updates:

* Office 2000 updates

* Malformed Word Document Could Enable Macro to Run Automatically (Information/Patch)