ANTI (computer virus)

ANTI
AliasANTI-0, ANTI-A, ANTI-ANGE, ANTI-B, Anti-Variant
TypeMacintosh
SubtypeApplication infector, copy protection
ClassificationVirus
Isolation date1989-02 (ANTI-A), 1990-09 (ANTI-B)
OriginFrance
AuthorsUnknown
Technical details
PlatformSystem 6 and older running Finder
Size1,352 bytes (ANTI-A), 1,152 bytes (ANTI-B)

ANTI is a computer virus affecting Apple Macintosh computers running classic Mac OS versions up to System 6. It was the first Macintosh virus not to create additional resources within infected files; instead, it patches existing CODE resources.[1][2]

The most commonly encountered strains of ANTI have only subtle effects, and thus can exist and spread indefinitely without being noticed until an antivirus application is run.[3] Due to a bug in the virus, it cannot spread if MultiFinder is running, which prevents it from infecting System 7 and later versions of Mac OS as well as System 5 and 6 running MultiFinder.[1][4][5]

  1. ^ a b Eugene H. Spafford, Kathleen A. Heaphy and David J. Ferbrache, "A Computer Virus Primer", 28 November 1989, p. 36. Computer Science Technical Reports Paper 795
  2. ^ Peter J Denning (editor), Computers Under Attack, ACM Press, 1990, p. 350
  3. ^ Bruce Schneier, Protect Your Macintosh, Peachpit Press, 1994, pp. 124-125
  4. ^ David Harley, Viruses and the Macintosh
  5. ^ Paul Baccas (editor), OS X Exploits and Defense, Syngress Publishing, 2008, p. 83