Security question (sort of) - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

20 Mar 1999

A virus could conceivably alter the volatile parameters in the
BIOS-controlled CMOS parameter table.  This would possibly alter the port
configurations and addresses.  The MSD is worse than worthless for
diagnosing problems in your PC.  It is useful for guessing at what WIndows
might do with what's there.  If someone maliciously wanted to fool your
computer into believing it has a configuration that's not valid, it could
change the CMOS parameter memory content and enable the plug-n-pray flag,
such that the system reconfigures its resource assignments differently than
Windows is set to anticipate, which will confuse it.

This sort of thing wouldn't happen if you didn't let vandals and criminals
into your computer facility.  People who think it's clever to damage the
content of your computer are no better than those useless wastes of skin
that go around painting graffitti on other people's property.

Dick

-----Original Message-----
From: Jason Willgruber &lt;roblwill(a)usaor.net&gt;
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
&lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;
Date: Friday, March 19, 1999 8:40 PM
Subject: Re: Security question (sort of)

...
 The serial ports are no longer recognized ANYWHERE - in
the BIOS, in DOS, by
...
 MSD, Windows, anything.  I have already re-installed
Windows.

A virus planted by a hacker can damage hardware by "eating" at the chips,
or
...
 just scrambling the code in the chip.  (I know someone
(Ironically, it's the
...
 sister of the person that did this to my computer),
who's keyboard
controller chip got scrambled.

If you noticed the red text on the top of the page, I have removed all of
the images.  I just didn't feel like deleting all the links.
--
                 -Jason Willgruber
               (roblwill(a)usaor.net)
                  ICQ#: 1730318
<http://members.tripod.com/general_1>

-----Original Message-----
From: Sellam Ismail &lt;dastar(a)ncal.verio.com&gt;
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
&lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;
Date: Friday, March 19, 1999 6:51 PM
Subject: OT: Re: Security question (sort of)

 On Fri, 19 Mar 1999, Max Eskin wrote:

  On Fri, 19 Mar 1999, Jason Willgruber wrote:
 Check out my website:

http://members.tripod.com/general_1
  In summary, it caused damage to the serial ports. Any computer whose
 hardware can be damaged by software in this way should be thrown off the
 Empire State Building. 
I think what Jason may not have initially realized (and maybe still not
yet even) is that his Windows system configuration files got screwed and
therefore his serial ports are no longer accessible under windows.  As far
as I know, its impossible to physically damage a serial port through
software unless you make it possible by building a device whose soul
purpose is to electrically short pins on the serial port on command.  And
of course, no sane persson would go through the trouble.

So all he really needs to do is probably go into the Cntrol Panel, select
System, then go to ports, remove the old serial ports (if they are still
there) then add them again.  Or maybe let windows find them for you with
the Add New Hardware icon.

BTW, I checked out the web site but all the links are bad.  They all end
up at a Tripod "page not found" page.

Sellam                                    Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------- -
...
 ---
 Don't rub the lamp if you don't want the
genie to come out.

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