| MDEF | |
|---|---|
| Technical name | MDEF |
| Alias | Garfield Top Cat |
| Type | Macintosh |
| Subtype | Nuisance |
| Classification | Virus |
| Family | Unknown |
| Origin | Ithaca, New York |
| Authors | Same author as CDEF |
MDEF was a computer virus affecting Macintosh machines. There are four known strains. The first, MDEF A (aka Garfield), was discovered in May 1990. Strains B (aka Top Cat), C, and D were discovered in August 1990, October 1990, and January 1991, respectively.
MDEF A, B, and C can infect application files and system files, and sometimes document files as well. The D strain will infect only applications. None of the viruses were designed to do damage, but they often do. MDEF D can sometimes damage applications beyond repair.
Quick action by computer security personnel and the New York State Police resulted in identification of the author, a juvenile. This was the same person responsible for writing the CDEF virus.