Bliss (virus)
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Bliss is a computer virus that infects Linux systems.
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[edit] Design
When executed, it attempts to attach itself to Linux executable files, to which regular users do not have access. In the case of the alpha version, this prevents the executables from running, so users notice it immediately. Although it was probably intended to prove that Linux can be infected, it does not propagate very effectively because of the structure of Linux's user privilege system. The Bliss virus never became widespread, and remains chiefly a research curiosity.
It writes a neat log of all its actions to /tmp/.bliss and even has a --bliss-uninfect-files-please command line option that actually does what it promises.
[edit] Release
Its source code was posted on a Usenet usergroup by its author on February 5, 1997. When the Bliss virus was released, antivirus software vendors put out a number of press releases about it. The claim was that since a "Linux virus" existed, Linux users should buy antivirus software. Linux users generally do not use antivirus software.
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