Virus Encyclopedia

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Stoned.Spirit

 
Threat LevelModerate threat
DamageHigh
DistributionNot widespread

At a glance

Common name:Stoned.Spirit
Technical name:Stoned.Spirit
Threat level:Low
Type:Virus
Effects:  It prevents the computer from starting up correctly.

Affected platforms:

MS-DOS

Detection updated on:July 17, 2001
StatisticsNo
Family:ANTICMOS

Brief Description 

    

Stoned.Spirit is a boot virus that infects the boot sector of floppy and hard disks.

Stoned.Spirit infects the hard disk of a computer when it is booted from an infected floppy disk. From then on, all of the floppy disks used on the computer will also be infected and the affected computer will have problems starting up.

Visible Symptoms 

    

An indication that Stoned.Spirit has infected a computer is the following message displayed on screen:

  • Disco incorrecto

Tech details

Effects

When Stoned.Spirit is run, it infects the boot sector of floppy disks (Boot) and hard disks (Master Boot Record or MBR), and carries out the following effects:

  • It overwrites the original boot sector with an infected copy.
  • It infects all the floppy disks used on the affected computer, provided that they are not write-protected.

Infection strategy 

Stoned.Spirit follows the infection routine below:

  • It infects the computer when it is booted from a floppy disk infected by the virus.
  • From the infected floppy disk, Stoned.Spirit goes memory resident.
  • From memory, Stoned.Spirit infects all the floppy disks used on the computer.

Means of transmission 

Stoned.Spirit only spreads through floppy disks, in the following way:

  • It infects the hard disk of the computer, when it is booted from a floppy disk infected by the virus.
  • It infects all the floppy disks used on the affected computer. These floppy disks will then infect other computers.

Solution

See solution