Virus Encyclopedia
Welcome to the Virus Encyclopedia of Panda Security.
Pakistani Brain | |
Threat Level Damage Distribution |
At a glance
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| Technical name: | Pakistani Brain |
| Threat level: | Low |
| Alias: | Brain, Clone |
| Type: | Virus |
| Effects: |
It carries out damaging actions on the affected computer.
It captures certain information entered or saved by the user, with the corresponding threat to privacy.
It causes the loss of information stored on the computer, either specific files or data in general.
It affects the productivity of the computer, the network to which it’s connected or other remote sites.
It carries out actions that decrease the security level of the computer.
It does not spread automatically using its own means.
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| Affected platforms:
| MS-DOS |
| Detection updated on: | Nov. 13, 2002 |
| Statistics | No |
| Country of origin: | PAKISTAN |
Brief Description | |
Pakistani Brain is a virus that spreads to other computers by copying its code to other files or programs. Pakistani Brain prevents access from programs to websites of several companies related with security tools (antivirus programs, firewalls, etc.). Pakistani Brain redirects attempts to access web pages of certain banks to spoofed pages, with the aim of logging information entered by the user in these pages. Pakistani Brain redirects attempts to access several web pages to a specific IP address. Pakistani Brain uses the following propagation or distribution methods: - Exploiting vulnerabilities with the intervention of the user: exploiting vulnerabilities in file formats or applications. To exploit them successfully it needs the intervention of the user: opening files, viewing malicious web pages, reading emails, etc.
- File infection: it infects different types of files, which are then distributed through any of the usual means: floppy disks, email messages with attachments, Internet download, files transferred via FTP, IRC channels, P2P file sharing networks, etc.
Pakistani Brain uses the following infection strategies: - Resident: once it has been run, the virus goes memory resident and stops functions belonging to the operating system. Therefore, every time the operating system or an application tries to access any of these functions, the virus will activate and infect new files.
- Stealth: when the virus is memory resident, it hides the modifications made to the boot sectors or files it has infected. These modifications are: changes in size, date, attributes, etc.
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Tech details
Effects |
Pakistani Brain spreads to other computers by copying its code to other files or programs. It has damaging effects on the affected computer. |
Means of transmission
Pakistani Brain does not spread automatically using its own means. It needs the attacking user's intervention in order to reach the affected computer. The means of transmission used include, among others, floppy disks, CD-ROMs, email messages with attached files, Internet downloads, FTP, IRC channels, peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing networks, etc.
Further Details
Pakistani Brain has the following additional characteristics:
