By Munir Kotadia, 13 June 2005 10:50
NEWS Romanian security firm BitDefender has revealed that after releasing signatures to protect its customers from a virus that deleted files from their computers containing gypsy music, it was inundated with letters of complaint from customers who wanted the virus to spread.
The virus, dubbed Antiman.A, was discovered at the end of April and duped users into executing its payload by pretending to contain news about three Romanian journalists that had been kidnapped. When run, the virus searched the victim's computer for files containing the names of Romanian gypsy music singers.
At the time, BitDefender's chief technology officer Bogdan Dumitru said the virus writer was obviously a Romanian citizen that had "deep discontent" with gypsy music in Romania.
A Bitdefender spokesperson told ZDNet Australia that it released signature files to protect customers within hours of discovering the virus but instead of praise, the company started receiving emails from users who thought the virus was 'socially useful' and should be allowed to thrive.
One customer, whose details have been withheld, said: "I appreciate your rapid reaction when new viruses are released... Nevertheless, when socially useful viruses are released, I think you could wait at least one day... This is not a virus, this is a utilitarian tool."
The message concluded: "If you know the author of this virus, please give him my email address; I'm ready to offer him food and drinks for at least two weeks".
Another customer was also hoping detection signatures were delayed but he went on to wish for a variant that could attack legacy systems: "Couldn't you guys wait two or three more days, until my whole neighbourhood was infected? Is there a version of this virus that can erase the cassettes played in cars that are stopped in traffic?"
The last word goes to a BitDefender customer who offered to keep the antivirus lab staff busy to try to give the virus more time to spread: "I would have gotten all of you drunk just to make sure you didn't get the [detection] tool out... god bless the guy who created this virus."
Munir Kotadia writes for ZDNet Australia
Comments
There are 8 comments. Join the discussion
1. Cristian
To say anti-gypsy is a bit too much!
The respective virus was intended as a joke and it was written against a very specific style of music: manele. See for instance:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manele
for some details. Manele are not sang only by gypsies thou.
2. anonymous
I am a citizen of Romania. I live in Bucharest, the capital of Romania.
The virus you have written an article about is not against "jipsy music" but against "manele". This is a music style which is influenced by Jipsy music, Turkish folk music, Greek folk music and Romanian folk music. So it's really a mix of styles.
What is very disturbing about this music is the fact that it's extremely low quality, and the verses are idiotic and very rude. The voices of the singers are often very similar with voices of low-lifes or ex-jail convicts.
One other factor that makes it very annoying is the fact that many people who listen to "manele" play if extremely loud.
So.. in the apartament in which I live, I'm forced to listen to "manele" music whether I like it or not... because the neighbours play it so loud, it's coming through the closed window!
This is why a lot of people hate "manele" music.
However, a lot of uneducated and low-life people love it.
3. Dan
What the virus was looking for was not gypsy music. It is called "manele" and is a mixture of gypsy and turkish music with lyrics about money womans and enemies and verry often obscene. It is a kind of music that romanians with a little bit of educations don´t agree with. This article sounded like romanians make lobby against gypsy music. Gypsy music, original gypsy music is great. Manele is at it´s oposite.
4. Bogdan Andrei
I am a Romanian ex-pat and while I am not very in touch with the pop music scene back home, I have had the (suspect) opportunity to hear some Manele, courtesy of my friends and a good internet connection.
I find most of the Manele songs to be utterly embarrasing to the Romanian people -- most of the lyrics are about how to steal cash-money, or stuff of similar quality. That having been said, I also find it terribly amusing, whenever I listen to it I laugh at it like an idiot.
Hence I would utterly recommend it to a lot of people (who can understand the lyrics) as good laugh therapy. It is so idiotic, it'll crack you up. However, I think my opinion would be different if I had to listen to it everyday courtesy of an unrepentant neighbour.
5. Dan
FAO: Anon. of Bucharest
We have that kind of thing in the UK too - it's called The Crazy Frog...
6. anonymous
I live in Romania; even though I respect the fact that some people like the "manele", I do not agree with playing it loud, neither with its words, which are often rude or offensive. In my opinion, this music is for uncivilized people, a people who can not and want not to listen to the true music. Fianlly, our cities are not any more ours, but to those who, instead of being civilized, are very rude. This is not Romania... who comes here and hears those, sais that this is Romania... the true Romania is in universities, highschools and school, where education is cultivated and formed.
7. liviu serbanescu
Manele is like rap: streetwise, topical & humorous. Also favored by those out of favor in conservative, judgemental nouveau-riche Romanian society. Romanians shouldn't be so offended by it; it's just music and our past is not so glorious as all that.
8. Richard A.
A Virus to remove Crazy Frog from mobiles would be very welcome here. Surely there is somebody out there with the knowhow to write it...
Meanwhile anybody wanting to learn more about Gypsy music might like to visit http://www.journeyswithgypsies.com/