Interview with StarZer0/iKX
By Benny/29A
[Late 1999]

Another kewl interview with another kewl coder. StarZer0 is for a long time member of iKX (oppositelly to Billy Belcebu). He is well known by his futuristic and interesting ideas (u'll c) and realisations (u saw dead) X-D. I hope u will like interview with him samely as u liked interview with Billy. This interview was done by non-standard way. Usually questions r sent by email, so the person will have enough time to think about answers. I wanted to make life-interview with Billy (i.e. questions and answers r completing on-line on IRC), but becoz of fucked connection and lack of time of us, only one half was done. StarZer0 suprised me, becoz when I asked him for an interview, he wanted to make much realistic interview than is normal one. So whole interview was done on-line - maybe u will find some mistakes, but that's all becoz of our wants to make this interview really kewl. Have a nice time reading this...

Hello StarZer0, time to rock now. Introduce yourself to our readers :)

> I'm starzero, son of izaël, son of asmaël, son of absolom, son of etc, etc... I started vxing about 2 or 3 years ago, at starting, I didn't knew one line of assembler. I learn quickly, did some cracking and then start writing some com infectors (I'm still proud of them).

That's enough for now :DD. Now usual question asked in every interview.

> I'm not gay.

X-DD. Why did u choose your nickname? Have u used any another nix?

> In fact, I had other nickname before I joined #virus at that time, there was a dood that had quasi identical nickname than me so I was annoyed, coz this guy was much known than me, I decided to change I took StarZero, can't remember exactly how. It sounds good, it's a funny nickname like an other.

Some ppl already saw u in real life (also me, u r0x0r man, hehe), but not everyone. Tell us something about your "external" look...:))

> Okay, don't believe the fotos, I'm not that stupid. I have brown eyes and I'm single =) My external look is rather simplicity. I don't like all these people that take care so much of their look or want to appears like some other poeple at TV. I follow my line.

Ok, I won't bother u with your look, I ask ya - what about your "internals"? Can u say anything really smart about u? X-D Describe yourself morally, philosophically, socially, ... internally ;)

> Morally, I'm not that good. Sometime I start depression for a yes or for no but it's temporary, the rest of the time I like to be funny and stay with funny poeple. Philosophically, I follow my line. I tryed to discuss my ideas with poeple but I have often ideas from kilometers of other "normal" poeple and socially, all is perfect. I do sport, I got to university and I'm not like all theses fucking text trying to describing a 16 years old fat virus writer depressed like hell.

Do u have any life-idol? Do u try to follow someone's steps as otherz do?

> No I don't, I like to make my own way, even if I start on a wrong one. This is often proof of proudness when you arrive somewhere and you look back, you often happy to see what you accomplished only yourself. It's like that all the life.

Ok, u as a feeling human is revealed. Let's reveal your other secrets. How did u get into computer viruses? What motivated u to be interested in them?

> I started interresting with viruses when I was 14. At that time I knew only qbasic. I bought a book talking over them, describing assembler code. I got hard to get an assembler, finally, I coded a bit assembler during the vacation so buggy code. I stopped when I was 15 or 16. I restarted again. At night, I coded a small com overwritter. It's from this night that everything started coding virus was originally a miracle for me. I liked a lot to see them working, it was a brain pleasure, it's a very good sensation so I coded again viruses, and I lost motivation until the day I started to code something new, something never done before. So I got biggest motivation, until that, I most enjoy researching in virus technology making -just a good- virus is boring like hell.

Everybody has some beginnings. Someone easier, someone harder. Was there anything/anybody what/who helped ya?

> I started with base of working code. I always started with base of a working code, unfortunately, u see many viruses defficients after. When I got experienced, I started to base myself only on programmers document, no more need of code or tutorials. It's like beginning to be a true programmer.

Ok, u now know a lot and u have done many projects. But how did u get into VX community? Did some friend help u?

> No, I didn't got into the vx community. In fact, I just stay idle on some virus channel in old good time arrakis irc server.

And making interviews with guys like me, blah? ;)

> So I met some 29aers that time, and I continued coding. My level was not good, but as I was coding some thing on bozo's tutorial, so I talked with bozo, really cool boy, and after a time, I entered ikx. So after making some code, I started to be a bit known in the vx scene. Before I think I was nothing or a very very bit part of the vx community but with time, u get and make friendship on the internet. Viruses are other part it's an enjoyment you share with some poeple, even with some avers. Sometimes the vx community have something much, it started expression jokes, personnal things, internals problems, lamers etc etc. It's started to be like an idian community, and like all community, when press talk over it talked bad.

Some ppl know that feeling, when u have friends all around the #virus world. Do u have any VX-idol (on IRC, EMAIL, ...)?

> Some idol? No, I have many respect to some poeple and their work, I think there's about 10 or 12 guy I really liked their mind and their style of work. The good news is that this list is growing. Other poeple are good by their ideas, but can't put it in action. I like discussing with these people too. In fact, I have to say that elite poeple are not the best virus writer in the scene but the clever one that keep his mind open and have the reaction to go see around, I mean the guy able to make his own ressearch on interresting topic. These poeple even if unknown, even if hated by other people deserve my respect.

And what about babes of your l0verz (u said u aren't gay :D)? Do u have any favourite sort of viruses? Which r the best viruses in your own opinion and why?

> Difficult question. I like innovative viruses, viruses that doesn't do what everybody does. I don't like super heavy viruses with heavy polymorphics and heavy infection. I like much a small inovative virus with a dumb encryption than a "classic" virus. I started restructuration of virus ideas a few month ago when I was making a project, so I can't say what is the best viruses. Sure, I will be happy to see a win32 tsr with 15 different host files virus but at least, making some inovation make viruses better at my eyes.

Now I give u short (relatively :) question, but we expect long answer. Please, tell us which viruses have u coded? What r their capabilities and which is your most favourite virus (your own)? Also don't forget to explain us their history and reasons of their names :DDD.

> I have done much than 20 win32 viruses, but I just released 3 until now. I release a virus when I think I have enough good ideas to make them. When I do a virus, it's a mix of tons of good ideas.

> I will start with the Sandrina virus. It's a very simple com infector. I added a tsr routine and then an encryption routine. The reason of this virus was that it was able to patch TBAV crc file with all his encryption and protection. He penetrate the file and patch it to get it working. This virus was kinda an opening of my eyes.

> Research coding was much much enjoyable than a dumb virus coding. After, I started a long long long project (about 4 month). I asked about archive infector on arrakis #virus, so I received from griyo a 800 Ko file with C source and some archive description. Damn, I spent tons of afternoons coding archive infection. A lot of them where non working technology but finally, I finished making them I concentrated everything in one file that was a very modulizable game. It was like assembling legos playing with include, and making some bait virus to test. Include have teach me how assemblers structure is done to make things modulizable. It was very very funny, I had a lot of problems, and xine-3 was delayed a bit for it. Because the poly was not done at all, so I did the poly in about 5 day. A very hard experience if I remember after, I started to learn win32 making first viruses, and I started the Arianne family making from Arianne 1 to Arianne 6. All had their capability, but I never released them. I have lost the arianne 4 (unfortunately, it had interresting EPO routines).

> I continued researching on win32 and started the Voodoo virus. The Voodoo virus was a mix of all good ideas I got from my coding experience. In fact and for starting, it didn't use all the name in apis but used for starting a crc. I was annoyed of a so long crc and then I rebuiled a smaller one (I called S0Crc :) ). That worked perfectly. After, the virus used a very small pe infection routine that was in about 50 lines, but I had a too big virus (530 bytes), so I decided to make something better and then I added a directory tree. The directory tree is also a very nice construction. It's hard to describe, but it was something very nice to do. After, it took so much time, so I started playing with threads, making a thread to hide virus activity. It worked so fine, that I infected some computer of my network :)

> I stoped a bit vxing and 4 or 5 month later, I got again good ideas for the Axelle virus. I talked a lot with ssr and he told me very very good ideas and I also got mail from reptile. From this, I started to think a lot. It took 3 weeks to make the Axelle virus. The most difficult was to make the poly in sorta cave. Axelle virus wasn't totally perfect and in fact, it wasn't designed to be. It should be nice if it was spread in the wild, midinfectors are nice to show ppl antiviruses incompetences. After that, I continued to code some routines, then I finally spend my vacation into a coding madness until 7 of the morning, (I did a lot of complex progams in a very short time) so I started the greenthumb project for applying the bozo polymorphic. The greenthumb project is an old abandoned project that used special tsr method for windows, nothing saw before, the virus entered the system, the virus is the system but in fact, it didn't worked fine....

> So I took again routines from precedents and started to make a virus with the poly. It was a PE infect, after, a PE infector with poly, with residency, and finally with stealth. This virus doesn't appears very big but it does some really new things. Axelle bailley and Aldebaran are two viruses that didn't use the standard way. I don't like the standard way, I did about everything imaginable with it. Here's my work, allways different and new ideas even if buggy, and even if bad explained =)

Ok, how many computer languages do u know to code? Which is the most favourite one for u?

> Oh, okay, I started with basic. Then I learnt asm and now I'm starting a career in c++. From all these language, I liked much asm, it permit very powerfull resolution of problem even in a not gui way. It's nice to make boucle etc etc

Now questions about your relation to your group X-D. Why did u join iKX? When did u do that? Do u have any other favourite VX groups?

> I meet bozo like 2 years before, I used a lot his routines so I asked him to use them. He told me if I wanted to publish source in xine, no problemo. After a bit and with cooperation with some ikxer, I decided to join IKX. I got a lot of motivation from bozo to continue projects and keep them advancing and to delay things for me, I can really thank him for all that. My favorite groups? I like YAM, codebreaker and some newbies called 29A =) To be true, I'm not very group, I'm just unhappy when I see new technology not under ikx name. But I think that there's no matter of groups, code is code and a good code is a good code and doesn't depends if the group is cool or not. It's like saying if you like that beer or that beer, both are by definition good =)

Now one of my most favourite questions. What makes u be still alive? Girlfriend, boyfriend (:D), another friends, family, religion...?

> Oh, I could really make a depression in all readers brain if you want, but I don't have really religious idea, I think we exist and I can't explain it myself. I have cool family and a boring small brother but it's not really my day-life-motivation. I had girlfriends, lovers (and I have to admit it, boyfriend =) (kiss to darkman)) and okay, that make you looking life with a bit much of sun. But the things that keep me on this world, and that make me still alive and my major coding motivation is without contest pr0n =)

How do u use to code? Do u use any drugs or u need to have your brain clean when u code?

> Usually, I code like 1 hour or two in plain of the day, at that time, I arrived 5 min late and I often have to go somewhere (where I got 30 min late coz there was a bug). So I can't use any kind of substance to code in these situations. I code also a lot the night, but only during vacation. When I take drugs or something that looked like, I'm often very drunk (to this topic, there was no alcohol in amsterdam meeting, what a scandal) and when I'm back in house, I can't do anything else than sleep. Anyway, I like to be in a clear state coding late in the night, when everybody is sleeping and nobody come to annoy you, unfortunately, not often.

Why do u code viruses? Is it your life-style? Have viruses changed your life and how?

> I don't think viruses changed my life nor my mind, but I think it's one of things I spent the much time. For some people will come (these alt.comp.virus cokcsucker) and tell me I did really nothing but it's wrong. I use some boucles and some algorithm used in virus to solve math problem in c++. I like also making virus research, this is the only real enjoyment in viruses. I like also to code my self code, my self routines and my self technology. But, I code virus for enjoyment and just to keep in mind I have done that and that and learned that and that over computer. When you do low level programmation, you learn a lot in computer world and in programation topics. I don't like to spread my viruses in general, coz they were not designed to, they are just life done to experiment. I'm not one of theses warrior coders that make super complex meta-polymorphic engine to fool antiviruses and I don't care of them. So I keep my code on my harddrive, and enjoy in my small corner looking myself doing some (how to call it in english, when they are nice to see) exhibition.

Let's discuss some kewl VX technologies, such as polymorphism, metamorphism, stealth, multi*, etc... Is it perspective? What do u think about them?

> Metamorphism, I will do that one day, but it's still far behind. I'm not very very active in this topic. Polymorphism, this technology appears me the most boring. Stealth, unfortunately, it's not a perfect technology, stealth need a lot of stability and often programs craaaaaaaash. For the resty, the perpective is windows and linux environement with a final perspective on NT stations. For windows, okay it's done, there's a lot to discover but there's already some good talent on it and some newschool for linux, in assembly, it's very hard. There's no research done. I have walked and done some works over it, with a semi good result, but unfornately it entered in the class of deficient technology. Also one thing to keep in mind is networking and hacking. In a few years, we will have virus hacker automate virus able to hack server and propage over them, taking also residency on it. This is the new coming tech I think, but as I ALL computer prevision, it can be at 95% wrong.

What do u think about macro stuph (+ other "click&create" style viruses) and destructive viruses?

> Destructive virus has no use and no meaning and I don't care of people mind, click and create virus and virus creator in general are very lame things to use. But for creating it's okay. And for macro stuph, I don't like macro viruses a lot, even with very large propagation. It's using too much high level properties of a program. A day or an other, you will die for the rest, I'm open to everything.

Can u unhide secrets about your new project u surely work on? :) Is there anything kewl in your kitchen again?

> Yes and no. If you read xine#3, I talked over viruses evolution. From these, I have written a small article that was not very diffused talking about interviruses communication like always communicate. If viruses communicate between them, they will make a bigger life. They could as exemple say to other viruses how to flood antivirus, but this need a lot of flexibility and may be too much flexibility, and also programmers skills. So, I tryed some time to do something, I never passed the cap of modulization. But finally, I restarted the whole project in the end of summer and it's basically working with some (secret) features. As exemple, viruses will be able to take drivers for communication. These drivers will define standard input output function. It's able to be directed over the internet. Imagine, the virus will be also much easy to fix and to upgrade, but we enter in restricted areas.

What is your view of ppl, which wanna prosecute virus writers?

> I don't understand all these poeple that is shouting over prosecution. The people thinking there's prosecution is like Mitnick fans, but you will say that melissa virus writer (vicodines??? hahaha) was went to jail. I say that if you do something wrong, you pay for it. You can diffuse viruses, and I understand poeple doing it, but you have to keep in mind that viruses is form of intrusion and yourself wouldn't like that someone send intruder over your machine. But I may be wrong, a day, JFK laughed when I said I never spread my viruses and in fact, I don't have enough time to code them so... But I read that guy consider that viruses are like a gun. If u use viruses for violence, violence will come back to you...

Now, without any lies, tell us, do u feel u belong to elite? :D

> Coz u ever had doubt I'm? In fact, I don't care about beeing elite. My C teacher told me I code like a beginner, with very very bad things and a lack of simplification, but that idea were those of good programers. Sometime, I think I code very badly. Things that could be optimized 100 times, but when I finished and I look on the entire project, I feel that it was fine managed. I'm not a expert coding like Vecna or a master optimizator like superx nor a polymorphic killer like Bozo. I just put my ideas. I'm not an elite, I'm an artist.

How do u learn new code, artist? :D Do u researching new technologies or u do learn from otherz tutorials?

> To be true, I don't often use tutorials. I don't also use some codes. I like to start with professional documents. A lot and a lot of coders would like to have this and this super easy to understand tutorial talking over this and this. But I think this is a bad attitude. To do things in the rules of art, I think that someone should build his code over professional document. It will permit to make much innovative code and much research in every domain. Also remember that technology have to be juged and then you have to think. Remember chess rules, no action without reflection...

Do u have any experiences with hacking, cracking or phreaking?

> I was before entering in the vx scene member of some cracking groups. That was cool and I discovered assembler, I understood it also better. Cracking explain a lot in coding structure, not in all domain but it help a lot. Also cracking show you often how protection are working. We should use cracking protection against antiviruses, but, it's not cracking protection based on virus protection ? =) I did some hacking and had unfortunately problems so I don't want to talk over it. Hacking is cool, it should be cool if a virus learn how to hack harddrive and such. I never did phreaking, I'm not too much an electronic d00d.

Is in your country any VX scene? Is it legal to code viruses in your country?

> No vx scene in my country. At least, not something serious, maximum 3 or 4 ppl interrested over it. It's legal to code, do u know any country, where viruses are illegale to code ?

Can u imagine things which would cause u to leave VX scene? Do u know, when will u do that (if u will ever do that :)?

> I think I will continue to code a lot of time. I dunno If I will really quit the vx scene a day, anyway I will stay not very far from it. Thing that could make me leaving the vx scene, oh nothing. I don't juge the vx scene on action of ppl but on relation. There's cool and interresting ppl in it, but anyway I will make "the-guy-that-stay-there-even-if-he-have- -nothing-to-do". I will leave my computer idle on #virus. Or better, I will infect a machine somewhere with a special virus that will stay on irc for me and ppl will think I'm still alive on the scene. And anyway, what does retired from the scene mean? I know ppl retired that code much more than when they were active =)

What would u like to do in a "near future"? Do u have any dreams u would like to realise?

> Difficult question, my near future is planned such: you have to study. But I dunno, I wanna make something very big, a very very big viruses like concentration of did things. Biggest viruses are like 5000 lines of code, I would like to do something like 20000 or much lines of code. And this require a lot of time, but I'm already at 10% of that virus =)

Do u have another hobbies than drugs and alcohol ? :))

> Blah, I like fighting sports, lan games, nice girls... I like having money, I like a lot of things. Baby, I'm a really complete boy (for girls reading this =)

Hehe, c'mon u complete boy, which r your most favourite URLs, that ones, which u look everyday - u can sure write here pr0n address, if u want. Btw, I heard u r getting famous by your masturbation pictures X-DDDD

> Damn, pr0n xxx site suck much and much, sadly. So I don't like to spend too much time on irc. On the web, it's often a waste of time. Web is cool to see one time, but else, it's always the same boring things. But okay, when you have to make research for school, it'll help a bit.

How often do u change your mail address? :) I mean, do u have an e-mail, website, telephone number or your own channel, where we can find u? X-D

> You can find me on #virus the night, but when? I don't change often my mail adress, I quasi never change it, I like to leave it like that. I don't like to show my phone numbers here. It's not I'm paranoid, but then, I just want to justify the staff of governemental agencies. So, if you have comment, or if you are girl 20+ cute (and pr0n star, but optional), you can contact me on starzeros@hotmail.com. But, please, stop sending mail to tell me my code is uncomprehensible.

I think it's enough for u and for our readers. Thank you for the interview and becoz this is your first interview, 29A gives u a chance to say/greet/ phuck/thank/kiss whatever and whoever u want, everything is allowed to u :) Have a nice time and kick some ass for us :)))

> Mmm, I have too much headache for it. I would like to thanks all the ppl that are coding and learning in the vx scene. And also I would like to kick some dumbass posting on alt.comp.virus (alt.comp.virus is lamer world) Greets to 29a, fs, and a lot of ppl I can't keep them in mind now. Oh wait. Yes, if you are reading this interview in vdat, you will see I'm not a virus coder. For the rest, cya and continue ass kicking...

Thanx for interview, StarZer0 and good luck in ass kicking...:)