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Author Topic: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?  (Read 10394 times)

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Semysig

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    Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
    « on: July 04, 2009, 05:54:12 AM »
    I have but one computer at this point and I want to be able to go to risky sites without endangering "safe" partitions.  IOW, be able to reformat the risked one at will with an image, but not have to do the whole darn thing or endanger data on the others.
    Obviously, an MBR virus could jam me, but if I can protect from that, can I do this?
    If so, HOW do I get near 100% protection from an MBR infection?

    Also, I just read that just copying an infected file can get you!  I thought that was impossible!  I thought you had to run it, and it had to be executable - or some cursed M$ "doc" type file that basically is executable but most people don't know it.

    Lastly, the rare JPG virus.  IIRC, it only infects you if you run a particular M$ app to view it, but I forgot which.  It's the classic where *I* dont, but I'm at risk from others doing it and getting other files from them.


    I hope somebody answers this soon cuz I very shortly have to reformat and reinstall completely.  It'd really suck if I don't get the very likely malware off here and have to do it again.  Jeeeeez I can't stand reinstalling Winblows and all the apps!
    I can't even tell you how much I hate it!

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    Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
    « Reply #1 on: July 04, 2009, 05:59:57 AM »
    I have but one computer at this point and I want to be able to go to risky sites without endangering "safe" partitions. 

    You can't.  You need to run a good AV package with good Malware protection, and a good firewall.
    Anything you allow to run inside of that is your own fault.  I will not teach you how to breach security and run porn.
    Evil is an exact science.

    Semysig

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      Greenhorn

      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #2 on: July 11, 2009, 02:53:37 AM »
      What out of what I said has anything to do with porn or breaching security?????
      What would it matter if it was porn, it isn't illegal.
      By risky site I meant anything that might try to "infect" you.
      You should know that many unscrupulous web sites are malware spreading scams.
      The only way to know that it was unscrupulous would be that you haven't heard of the
      company/organization before.
      Obviously only going to sites you have heard of would be crippling.

      Obviously I am running an AV/spyware detection program.
      You should know that there is a lag between a new virus and a security update.

      I want to have one partition/windows installation that I use solely for going to possible infection risk sites.  I would  hide the other infectable partitions from that one and vice a versa.   IOW , I want to have a dirty partition that does not infect clean partitions.
      I want to be able to go ANYWHERE on the web.

      Will the hiding of the clean partition protect it from the dirty partition??
      Each will have it's own installation of windows and it will have a boot manager that will select between them.   

      If this will not work, will a clean boot CD with an AV program on it used to scan the drive, but using a virus signature file that's on the hard drive protect me??
      Basically I would scan after using the dirty partition.  The AV data file would be on a separate data partition.

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      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #3 on: July 20, 2009, 03:09:23 PM »
      I'm not accusing you of anything, I'm just stating that you can't unless you run something like Linux.

      Everything else including MAC is insecure.  So unless you want to jump through hoops and run amazing cryptography, you can't.
      Evil is an exact science.

      evilfantasy

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      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #4 on: July 20, 2009, 03:42:14 PM »
      I use Sandboxie. http://www.sandboxie.com/

      Quote
      Sandboxie runs your programs in an isolated space which prevents them from making permanent changes to other programs and data in your computer.

      Or you can use a Virtual Environment. http://www.virtualbox.org/


      BC_Programmer


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      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #5 on: July 20, 2009, 03:45:48 PM »
      He wants multiple Installations of his OS. One of which he will use on-line, and another mostly off-line; that is, his important data on the "off-line" partition.

      His question is wether the On-line partition can infect the off-line one.



      If you don't assign a drive letter to the "clean" partition as seen from the "dirty" partition, then I doubt any virus would infect it. If you access files on the "clean" parition from your dirty partition then you'll risk spreading file infector type viruses from the dirty partition to the clean partition.

      As an alternative, you could setup a guest OS install within virtual PC, which would be even better  then two partitions.
      I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

      evilfantasy

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      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #6 on: July 20, 2009, 03:48:01 PM »
      I think Virtual Box is something that would fit the bill... http://www.virtualbox.org/

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      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #7 on: July 20, 2009, 03:56:21 PM »
      I think Virtual Box is something that would fit the bill... http://www.virtualbox.org/

      I didn't spend a lot of time looking at that, how is it different than Virtual PC?
      Evil is an exact science.

      evilfantasy

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      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #8 on: July 20, 2009, 04:06:06 PM »
      Windows Virtual PC?

      The difference is that the only supported Microsoft Windows Virtual PC is available in Windows 7. Virtual Box from Java (Sun Microsystems) is Microsoft Windows Virtual PC only updated. Microsoft has let everyone use their version of Virtual PC but fails to tell them that they stopped supporting it in 2007 when they sold it to Sun Microsystems.

      Another great tool abandoned and then left open to exploit by Microsoft. See here. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/

      Quote
      Windows XP Mode and Windows Virtual PC Beta, available on Windows 7 Professional, Windows 7 Ultimate, and Windows 7 Enterprise, provides you the capability to run multiple Windows environments, such as Windows XP Mode, from your Windows 7 desktop.

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      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #9 on: July 20, 2009, 04:09:32 PM »
      I'm not sure what you are referring to.  I may have misunderstood you, but I run Virtual PC on an XP box as well.
      Evil is an exact science.

      evilfantasy

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      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #10 on: July 20, 2009, 04:11:12 PM »
      Windows Virtual PC?

      From Microsoft?

      *I edited the above post.

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      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #11 on: July 20, 2009, 04:12:47 PM »
      From Microsoft?

      *I edited the above post.

      Yes, it runs quite well on XP x64, as well as Vista.  I have numerous OS's running on it.
      Evil is an exact science.

      BC_Programmer


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      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #12 on: July 20, 2009, 04:13:04 PM »
      Quote
      Virtual PC was originally developed for the Macintosh and released by Connectix in June 1997. The first version of Virtual PC designed for Windows-based systems, version 4.0, was released in June 2001. Connectix sold versions of Virtual PC bundled with a variety of guest operating systems, including Windows, OS/2, and Red Hat Linux. As virtualization's importance to enterprise users became clear, Microsoft took interest in the sector and acquired Virtual PC and Virtual Server (unreleased at the time) from Connectix in February 2003.

      Under agreement with Connectix, Innotek GmbH (makers of VirtualBox and now part of Sun Microsystems) ported version 5.0 to run on an OS/2 host. This version also included guest extensions for OS/2 guests, which could run on Windows, OS/2 or Mac OS X hosts using Virtual PC versions 5, 6 or 7. A new version of the guest extensions was later included with Microsoft's Virtual PC 2004.

      On July 12, 2006, Microsoft released Virtual PC 2004 for Windows as a free product, but the Mac version was not made free. The Windows version may be downloaded here
       
      . The equivalent version for Mac, version 7, was the final version of Virtual PC for Mac.

      Virtual PC 2007 was released only for the Windows platform, with public beta testing beginning October 11, 2006, and production release on February 19, 2007. It added support for hardware virtualization, viewing virtual machines on multiple monitors and support for Windows Vista as both host and guest. (The Windows Aero interface is disabled on Windows Vista guests due to limitations of the emulated video hardware; however, Aero effects can be rendered by connecting to the guest via Remote Desktop Connection from an Aero-enabled Vista host.) On May 15, 2008, Microsoft released Virtual PC 2007 Service Pack 1, which added support for both Windows XP SP3 and Vista SP1 as guest and host OSes, as well as Windows Server 2008 Standard as a guest OS.

      A hotfix rollup for Virtual PC 2007 SP1, released February 20, 2009, solved networking issues and enhanced the maximum screen resolution to 2048×1920 (32-bit), enabling 16:9 resolutions such as 1920×1080.

      Virtual Machine Additions for Linux are available at the Microsoft Download Center, but are officially supported only in Virtual Server.
      I was trying to dereference Null Pointers before it was cool.

      evilfantasy

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      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #13 on: July 20, 2009, 04:18:34 PM »
      I may be a bit off on my information but the Java Virtual Box is an updated version of Virtual PC. Microsoft is bringing Virtual PC back in Windows 7. Just look at the homepage. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/

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      Re: Cross Partition Virus/Malware infectability?
      « Reply #14 on: July 20, 2009, 04:21:01 PM »
      I may be a bit off on my information but the Java Virtual Box is an updated version of Virtual PC. Microsoft is bringing Virtual PC back in Windows 7. Just look at the homepage. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/

      How is Java Virtual Box an updated version, will it actually allow me to run a completely independant OS on top of my boot OS?
      Evil is an exact science.