MP3Virus.Gen alert during start-up

[efc...@adobeforums.com]

Have noticed that my anti-virus software has issued an alert on a couple of files during startup of InDesign, they all have numerical names such as 904187,904255 etc and are apparently/allegedly infected by a virus called "MP3Virus.Gen" - anyone any experience of this or advice on how to deal with it? Is it a "real" virus as such?

[Steve_...@adobeforums.com]

Unfortunately, it may be:

<http://maccentral.macworld.com/news/2004/04/08/trojan/index.php?redirect=1081436144000>

[efc...@adobeforums.com]

Seems like that's the one - Intego's VirusScan is the one that checked the drive and found it, the problem is the virus seeems to affect InDesign's plug-ins, and once they're removed of the virus they look to become unusable. I reinstalled ID3 once tongiht and now the virus has infected the new plug-ins again..

[Bu...@adobeforums.com]

Has the virus infected the plugins??

or does the virus software think the plugins are viruses??

[efc...@adobeforums.com]

what happens is this - when InDesign starts up and then loads it's components the VirusScan software has a popup that appears when it think's it has a virus, as with the 904187,904255 etc - it is noticeable that the files it lists as suspicious are all in thee required or plugins folders that are contained within InDesign, not the plugins folder that is accessible via the inDesign application folder itself..

so draw your conclusions from that really - that is what happens and as I mentioned when I reinstalled InDesign the VirusScan picked up the same files again as being infected, so either something is lurking around to reinfect these files or as you say, the VirusScan program thinks they are viruses when they are just plugins..

[Erik_N...@adobeforums.com]

I find it's safest to stick to legally-downloaded music from iTunes...and avoid files from sharing networks.

That should help avoid these trojan horses...

[Jason...@adobeforums.com]

From what I understand (and I may be wrong about this), but once the virus is launched, it can affect any mp3 file on your system.

[will...@adobeforums.com]

Use Kazaa or Limewire and "reap" the benefits. I only download from iTunes.

[Claudio_González@adobeforums.com]

I find it curious that, at this date and time, this new virus is still not mentioned in the sites of Symantec and McAfee, and that the latest news about it in the Intego site are dated April 8.

[Steve_...@adobeforums.com]

There is some controversy about how serious the threat is. You can read the discussion on www.macintouch.com for Friday, 4/9/04.

<http://www.macintouch.com/#notesandtips>

[Bu...@adobeforums.com]

I really doubt you have a virus its your virus software thinking ID3 files are a virus.

[efc...@adobeforums.com]

to add to this - I haven't downloaded ANY Music at all from Kazaa or anywhere else - the only MP3s in iTunes are one's off CDs that I've bought so it hasn't got on the system that way!

[Paul_...@adobeforums.com]

I am having the same problem and the only way I resolved it was to go to the root level and disable Virus Barrier.

[Wayne Guy]

According to a newspaper the trojan was written by a Mac programmer as a means of demonstrating a possible threat. Here's the story <http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/12/1081621871333.html>

[efc...@adobeforums.com]

just as a footnote to this - the latest VirusScan definitions download does not think the ID3 files are viruses so appears to be ok again..