Geo's quest

[Aladin]

attention the archive http://aminet.net/package/game/role/GQ3
from 2020-09-13 was infected

As a reminder, the GQ2 archive was also infected
http://aminet.net/package/game/role/GQ2
The virus file was in the GracPlayer2 executable

Ok for:
http://aminet.net/package/game/role/GQ



WHDLG non-virus version:
GeoQuest3-WHDL.lha
GeoQuest2-WHDL.lha
GeoQuest1-WHDL.lha

[Quagliarulo]

Did you warn the webmasters (aminet@aminet.net)?

[AMIGASYSTEM]

Virus Checker II intercepted it as "Ebola Virus" while Virus Z III, identified it as "Happy New Year 96"

[Aladin]

Originally Posted by Quagliarulo

Did you warn the webmasters (aminet@aminet.net)?

I just did it

[Storm]

I've had one of my systems in the past infected with the Happy New Year 96 virus and let me tell you it didn't make me happy at all.

[Seiya]

Happy new year 96 destroy any comands that is launched in the Startup-sequence. At least with 68040 a 68040 processor makes several damages and you are force to reinstall from scratch Operating System. With 68020-30 you don't see the damages because the system continue working very good.

[Quagliarulo]

Those archives are still there.

[AMIGASYSTEM]

"Happy new year 96" infected any OS and CPU, tested with "GracPlayer2" and all the files executed after its boot, when rebooting the system were infected by "Happy New Year 96" the RAM was infected by Ebola Virus.

[PeterK]

More than 15 years ago I once downloaded an HDF image based on OS 3.9 from a French website and found 113 files on it infected with Ebola, removed them ... and then looked for more usable things on it ...

[pngcan]

Hello, can anyone tell me how this occurred. I used the Grac2 archive for GQ2 and 3 from Aminet, and I used the original Grac2 disk I bought from F1 way back when for GQ1. I also scan my computer frequently and AVG did not ever find these viruses. Is there anyway of removing it, as I am working on the 2nd and 3rd chapters of GQ3? I am sorry if this has caused any problems.

[StingRay]

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

Virus Checker II intercepted it as "Ebola Virus" while Virus Z III, identified it as "Happy New Year 96"

Ebola is correct.

[Quagliarulo]

Originally Posted by pngcan

Hello, can anyone tell me how this ocurred. Is there anyway of removing it?

God knows how and when it happened that the virus began spreading into your files. You should boot your Amiga from a clean antivirus disk and scan all your disks, hard drives, hardfiles, archives, CDs, everything. Go through your DVD and CD backups, scan everything Amiga-related stuff that's inside, then destroy and re-author the disc if it's infected.
The Virus Help Team provides up to date disk images for the job.

[redblade]

Hi.

I normally use Virus Checker V6.28 (Single binary) as a basic virus checker. Is their a small binary one (small memory footprint) for the happy new year virus?

Thanks.

[Predseda]

Nasty HNY96 returns again and again. Most known virus in Amiga community I think.

[pngcan]

I do not use an Amiga any longer (since 2000) I have been coding these on my Mac Airbook with an emulator. The GRAC2 program was downloaded from Aminet.

[AMIGASYSTEM]

Originally Posted by pngcan

Hello, can anyone tell me how this occurred. I used the Grac2 archive for GQ2 and 3 from Aminet, and I used the original Grac2 disk I bought from F1 way back when for GQ1. I also scan my computer frequently and AVG did not ever find these viruses. Is there anyway of removing it, as I am working on the 2nd and 3rd chapters of GQ3? I am sorry if this has caused any problems.

When your system has been infected with "Happy New Year 96", all the files you run will be infected, so it is difficult to know which file was the first infected file.

AVG like other PC/MAC Antivirus cannot detect Amiga Virus, you have to scan your "Amiga" system and all your Amiga files with an Amiga Antivirus HERE find "VirusZ III" and "VirusChecker II" but also others.

[Quagliarulo]

Originally Posted by pngcan

I do not use an Amiga any longer (since 2000) I have been coding these on my Mac Airbook with an emulator. The GRAC2 program was downloaded from Aminet.

It could well have started when you were still using real hardware, so you should also check all your real media (HDD's and floppies, for example). While you can access physical hard drives via UAE, in order to check your floppies you are forced to either use a real Amiga or make images and scan those in the emulator.

[Aladin]

According to your archives on aminet:

In 2001, Geo's Quest 1 was not yet infected
http://aminet.net/package/game/role/GQ

In 2010, Geo's Quest 2 was infected

[pngcan]

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

When your system has been infected with "Happy New Year 96", all the files you run will be infected, so it is difficult to know which file was the first infected file.

AVG like other PC/MAC Antivirus cannot detect Amiga Virus, you have to scan your "Amiga" system and all your Amiga files with an Amiga Antivirus HERE find "VirusZ III" and "VirusChecker II" but also others.

Yes that worked. I downloaded Virus_Checker 2 and ran it on my UAE emulator on my Mac and indeed it indicated my memory was infected with Happy New Year & Ebola. I ran the program and repaired/disabled/removed the virus. I copied the gracplayer2 from GQ1 to GQ2 and GQ3. I see Aminet has removed both GQ2 & GQ3. I contacted them to see if I can now re-upload the files as cleaned by Virus_Check 2. Thanks to all for the help, especially aladin21. Now that I am retired I would like to create more games, and I am nearly done Chapter 2 of GQ3. I sure do miss the Amiga (although its only emulated now for me, the experience is still fun) Thanks again friends.

[pngcan]

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

When your system has been infected with "Happy New Year 96", all the files you run will be infected, so it is difficult to know which file was the first infected file.

AVG like other PC/MAC Antivirus cannot detect Amiga Virus, you have to scan your "Amiga" system and all your Amiga files with an Amiga Antivirus HERE find "VirusZ III" and "VirusChecker II" but also others.

Originally Posted by Aladin

According to your archives on aminet:

In 2001, Geo's Quest 1 was not yet infected
http://aminet.net/package/game/role/GQ

In 2010, Geo's Quest 2 was indected

Yes that makes sense. In 2001 I was still using my A1200 and the Grac2 floppy from F1 installed on my harddrive. Much of GQ2 was also coded on the A1200 in 2002 then I just got too busy and never finished it.I burnt a CD with all the GQ2 files and stored it. I sold my 1200 in and around 2005/6 as I never used since 2001. In 2007, missing my Amiga I purchased Amiga Forever (can't remember the version then), copied the GQ2 files to the Work directory and then off and on worked on it. BUT I had to download Grac2 from Aminet to finish it as I no longer had the F1 disk. I wonder if it was that download that did it? I uploaded GQ2 first in 2007, then again in 2010 with some bug fixes, removing the 2007 file. Could have been then. I ran Virus Check 2 and indeed the Grac2 file in my Work dir was infected. (Over the years I copied my Amiga folder to an external drive and then copied the file to my new macs as I upgraded). So the Grac2 file I used for GQ3 was indeed still the one I downloaded back in 2007. I downloaded a new Grac2 today from Aminet, ran Virus Check and the new Grac2 was clean. Thanks again for all the help Aladin