History Main / ComputerVirus

* WebVideo/{{Vinesauce}} streamer Joel is fond of intentionally downloading and executing these in his "Windows Destruction" streams, where he loads up Windows on a virtual machine and attempts to cripple it as much as possible, whether . Some of his favorites include [[SchmuckBait .exe files disguised as .mp3 or .avi files]] (this is why just about every Windows technician ''strongly'' encourages users to disable the "Hide extensions for known file types" toggle) and ransomware that prevents the infected system from booting into any OS unless they obtain an unlock code from the author (which usually entails paying said author, hence the term).

* WebVideo/{{Vinesauce}} streamer Joel is fond of intentionally downloading and executing these in his "Windows Destruction" streams, where he loads up Windows on a virtual machine and attempts to cripple it as much as possible with all manners of malicious files and software. Some of his favorites include [[SchmuckBait .exe files disguised as .mp3 or .avi files]] (this is why just about every Windows technician ''strongly'' encourages users to disable the "Hide extensions for known file types" toggle) and ransomware that prevents the infected system from booting into any OS unless they obtain an unlock code from the author.

* In ''InfiniteCrisis'', Batman tells Oracle to upload every computer virus on Earth to Brother Eye as a way of slowing it down. Even if Batman had Oracle so CrazyPrepared as to have every computer virus on file and ready for launch, a) Brother Eye would be immune to most of them, as Batman created him most likely with all kinds of attacks in mind ([[spoiler:and he was later augmented by Alexander Luthor]]), and b) it would be amazingly stupid to let in anything that didn't come from one of his [=OMACs=] and was of the wrong size or file type -- it's not like he's torrenting on the side while he's repelling the heroes.

->'''Noah:''' ''Is that your answer to everything? "Upload a virus?" The world doesn't work like that, Jake.''\\
'''Jake:''' ''Yeah, but wouldn't it be cool if it did?''

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* Depending on your choices in ''{{Uplink}}'', you will be tasked with either spreading a computer virus intended to destroy the Internet, or spreading the antivirus meant specifically to stop it. You can also run the virus on your own gateway computer, but it's not recommended.

* The Maverick virus in VideoGame/MegaManX is a nasty example, as it seems to quickly degrade reploid thought patterns and make them increasingly volatile and violent, especially towards humans.
* VideoGame/MegaManBattleNetwork takes place in a cyberworld fully-populated with advanced electronics, many of them with embedded systems that can be accessed via the Internet. Naturally, a large portion of your enemies are viruses, or malicious program-entities that could spawn viruses and {{Eldritch Abomination}}s referred to as Bugs.
* In ''{{VideoGame/Retrovirus}}'', the whole point of the game is to clear a computer system from a virus found in a spam email.

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* The trolls in ''Webcomic/{{Homestuck}}'' contain two people who use viruses - Sollux, a hacker who creates really effective viruses, and Karkat, a script kiddie who calls himself a programmer but who gets Sollux to do all the hard work for him. The troll story starts when Karkat [[TooDumbToLive runs a ridiculously dangerous virus created by Sollux on his own computer in a fit of blind pique]], blowing it up and putting a {{Curse}} on himself, all his friends, and everyone he will ever meet.
* The page image is from ''Webcomic/{{Gunshow}}'''s ''Webcomic/TheAnimeClub'', where a virus titled killallnerds.exe is designed and deployed against the titular club members to delete all of anime movies and episodes on their hard drive. [[spoiler: They use it back against those responsible in the end.]]
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* [[WebAnimation/HomestarRunner Strong Bad]] receives a virus email in "Virus" which looks like text gibberish. Strong Bad then runs his virus scanner to find that he in fact has over 400,000 viruses on his computer, enough to cause the rest of the Homestar universe to glitch until Bubs [[spoiler: shoots the computer with a shotgun.]]

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-> '''Grif:''' I find [[HackedByAPirate viruses that feature a laughing skull]] work the best.
--> --''Machinima/RedVsBlue''

* Rogue "anti-virus" programs pass themselves off as legitimate anti-virus programs when they force themselves onto your computer. Then they begin to tell you that your computer is chock-full of viruses and registry errors, and try to coerce you into buying a license for the program by compromising your computer under the guise of the viruses that they claim to protect from. These range from subtle, like [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WinFixer Winfixer]], to cartoonishly evil, like [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NavaShield Nava Shield]]

** Srizbi: Outputed several times more spam than Storm, and was capable of creating its own CnC servers.

* One type of malware derived from the concept of viruses is the E-mail delivered worm. One of the more infamous worms that stalked the Internet lured schmucks into opening the infected payload by pretending to contain pictures of Anna Kournikova.
* Rogue anti-virus programs pass themselves off as legitimate anti-virus programs when they force themselves onto your computer. Then they begin to tell you that your computer is chock-full of viruses and registry errors, and try to coerce you into buying a license for the program by compromising your computer under the guise of the viruses that they claim to protect from. These range from subtle, like [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WinFixer Winfixer]], to cartoonishly evil, like [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NavaShield Nava Shield]]

Just to clear things up: Computer viruses exploit security holes/vulnerabilities specific to certain programs -- preferrably server programs, so you can do a remote attack. In order to discover and exploit such holes you need to study the software in question -- a pretty difficult thing to do if you don't have the source code, access to a copy of the target system allowing you to run a selection of penetration testing tools against it (doing so on the real target may well alert its owners that some dirty work is afoot), or at the very least access to the executable file. More commonly, a virus author waits until a security update by the software developer uncovers a security hole in the program. If you are fast, you can act then and write a virus. Most users are lazy with updates (or company policies might get in the way), allowing the virus to spread to versions of the program missing the security update.

Though, of course, [[RuleOfCool nobody cares]].

** Srizbi: Outputed several times more spam than Storm, [[OhCrap and was capable of creating its own CnC servers.]]

* [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stuxnet Stuxnet]] - a worm supposedly developed to hamper and/or ruin Iran's nuclear facilities. Essentially, [[OhCrap a weaponized computer virus]]. Thankfully, its highly specialized nature made it harmless to most other kinds of computers...but [[OhCrap that hasn't stopped more well-rounded descendants like "Flame" and "Duqu" from popping up]].

Furthermore, the term "virus" technically only refers to a program that infects other programs. If it just infects other machines without attaching itself to programs, it's a worm. No matter what the type of malware, media will typically refer to it as a virus.

* The way the Cylons disabled the Colonial Fleet in Series/BattlestarGalacticaReimagined was often described as a Virus, though in reality it was a backdoor that the Cylons placed during the development of a navigation program that most Colonial ships (military and civilian) used.