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FBI investigating 911 virus

Feds find computer virus that can erase hard drives and cause PCs to dial 911 - 'relatively minor' outbreak confined to Houston
Written by Joel Deane, Contributor

The FBI and National Infrastructure Protection Center are investigating a computer virus that can erase hard drives and dial 911 emergency systems.

According to a NIPC advisory issued Saturday, the 911 virus had a "relatively minor dissemination" limited to the Houston, Texas, area.

The NIPC advisory said the virus script was "disseminated" via source computers, which scanned "several thousand computers through four Internet service providers" -- America Online, AT&T, MCI and NetZero.

The FBI discovered the virus during a "recent and breaking" case.

The 911 virus script "may be placed in hidden directories named 'chode,' 'foreskin' or 'dickhair,'" the advisory said.

How it works

Once it infects a computer, the NPIC said, the 911 virus will:

"Actively search the Internet" for computer systems configured for file- and print-sharing and copy itself onto those systems;

  • Overwrite hard drives; and
  • Cause the infected computers to dial 911.
  • The FBI and NIPC are continuing to investigate the virus' code.

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