Virus Name: Terminator
V Status: Rare
Discovered: April, 1992
Symptoms: .COM file growth; file date/time changes; TSR; write protect
Eff Length: 526 Bytes
Type Code: PRsCK - Parasitic Resident .COM Infector
Detection Method: ViruScan, F-Prot, AVTK, Sweep, PCScan, ChAV,
NAV, IBMAV, NAVDX, VAlert,
NShld, LProt, Sweep/N, Innoc, NProt, AVTK/N,
Removal Instructions: Delete infected files
The Terminator virus was submitted in April, 1992. Its origin is
unknown. Terminator is a memory resident infector of .COM
programs, including COMMAND.COM.
The first time a program infected with the Terminator virus is
executed, the Terminator virus will install itself memory resident
as a low system memory TSR of 1,104 bytes. Interrupts 21, 22, and
24 will be hooked.
Once the Terminator virus is memory resident, it will infect .COM
programs, including COMMAND.COM, when they are executed. Programs
infected with the Terminator virus will have a file length increase
of 526 bytes with the virus being located at the end of the program.
The file's date and time in the DOS disk directory listing will
have been updated to the system date and time when infection
Systems infected with the Terminator virus may notice that when
the user attempts to execute .COM programs from a write-protected
diskette, a write-protect error will occur.