ELFBOWLING VIRUS HOAX!!! (12/15/99)

Question

ELFBOWLING VIRUS HOAX!!! (12/15/99)

Answer

This question was answered on December 15, 1999. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

A hoax is making the rounds that claims that the popular “Elfbowling” program, that you have no doubt seen or received by now, contains a virus that will launch on Christmas day. Both Mcafee and Norton have verified that the files ELFBOWL.EXE, FROGPULT.EXE and Y2KGAME.EXE that the hoax refers to are clean uninfected programs.

ADVANCED USERS can confirm if the programs are clean by comparing the CRC-32 and size of these programs using PKZIP software:

ELFBOWL.EXE, CRC32: ae35e713, SIZE: 1130496 bytes

FROGPULT.EXE, CRC32: e0b827fa, SIZE: 1021952 bytes

Y2KGAME.EXE, CRC32: 80a08aeb, SIZE: 1830612 bytes

Below is a copy of the email hoax message

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Subject: FW: VIRUS ALERT!!!!

I have just received this - better safe than sorry......

TO ALL

IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED ANY OF THESE GAMES=

FROGAPULT.EXE ELFBOWL.EXE

(FROG GAME) & (ELF BOWLING GAME)

PLEASE CAN YOU DELETE THEM COMPLETELY OUT OF YOUR SYSTEM AS THEY BOTH HAVE A DELAYED VIRUS ATTACHED TO THEM THAT WILL BE ACTIVATED ON CHRISTMAS DAY AND WILL WIPE OUT YOUR SYSTEM. LET EVERYONE KNOW OF THIS.

THANKS

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Do not forward this message to others.

We, at Support4free.com, have also checked every instance of Elfbowl.exe that we have come in contact with and have found no variations of what the author of the program has created.

If for some reason you have not had the pleasure of playing these games you can download them at www.nstorm.com

Author

Posted by Ken of Data Doctors on December 15, 1999