A hoax warning: Infecting SULFNBK.EXE file

Any merit to this email??

"Everyone - please read & forward to anyone you have emailed in the last month

I was notified by a friend that she inadvertantly passed on a virus to my

computer over the past month. I just found out about it and supposedly it is

passed on when you send emails to others. I did find it on my computer and

deleted it. The virus is supposedly programmed to activate after being on

your C drive for awhile. Because of the delay in

activation it does not get picked up by anti-virus programs. No one knows how

long the virus has been on the system. When it does become active it will

erase all files and folders on your hard drive. It is spread when you send

emails.

In order to find this virus, follow the instructions below:

Click on "start"

choose "find"

choose "files and folders"

select "find" Select "C drive"

Name of file to search for SULFNBK.EXE

If you find this file, DO NOT OPEN IT! Select by right clicking on your

mouse and DELETE it. Then close the window and empty your RECYCLE BIN.

Please contact anyone you may have sent emails to in the last month.

Sorry about this."

This question was answered on December 10, 2001. Much of the information contained herein may have changed since posting.

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Hello, and thank you for warning everyone who might be affected by this hoax email.

I have found this security warning from Symantec website and have inserted for you And like you mentioned, this hoax does not become a virus until the set time.

This hoax email was first reported in Brazil The original email is in Portuguese and it is followed by several other versions.

CAUTIONS:

This particular email message is a hoax The file that is mentioned in the hoax, however, Sulfnbk.exe, is a Microsoft Windows utility that is used to restore long file names, and like any .exe file, it can be infected by a virus that targets .exe files.

The virus/worm W32.Magistr.24876@mm can arrive as an attachment named Sulfnbk.exe The Sulfnbk.exe file used by Windows is located in the C:\Windows\Command folder If the file is located in any other folder, or arrives as an attachment to an email message, then it is possible that the file is infected In this case, if a scan with the latest virus definitions and with NAV (Norton Anti Virus) set to scan all files DOES NOT detect the file as being infected, quarantine and submit the file to Symantec Security Response for analysis by following the instructions in the document How to submit a file to SSR (formerly, SARC) using Scan and Deliver.

If you have deleted the Sulfnbk.exe file from the C:\Windows\Command folder and want to know how to restore the file, see the following section How to restore the Sulfnbk.exe file.

How to restore the Sulfnbk.exe file:

If you have deleted this file, restoration is optional Sulfnbk.exe is a Microsoft Windows utility that is used to restore long file names It is not needed for normal system operation If you want to restore it, there is more than one way to do this See the information that follows.

NOTE: The instructions in this document are provided for your convenience The extraction of Windows files uses Microsoft programs and commands Symantec does not provide warranty support for or assistance with Microsoft products If you have any questions, please see your Windows documentation or contact Microsoft.

Windows 98:

If you are using Windows 98, you can restore the file using the System File Checker.

1 Click Start and then click Run.

2 Type sfc and then press Enter.

3 Click "Extract one file from installation disk."

4 In the "Specify the system file you would like to restore" box, type the following, and then click Start:

c:\windows\command\sulfnbk.exe

NOTE: If you installed Windows to a different location, make the appropriate substitution.

The Extract File dialog box appears.

5 Next to the "Restore from" box click Browse, and browse to the location of the Windows installation files If they were copied to the hard drive, this is, by default, C:\Windows\Options\Cabs You can also insert the Windows installation CD in the CD-ROM drive and browse to that location.

6 Click OK and follow the prompts.

If you like to see the full article on this hoax, go to:

http://securityresponse.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/sulfnbk.exe.warning.html

Thank you for writing!

About the author

Posted by Phoenixaz of Chandler-Gilbert Community College on December 10, 2001

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