Interview with Prizzy
by Matrix zine
[April 2000]

Tell me a little about yourself as a person, hobbies-music etc?

> Well, I'm prizzy, the member of 29A group, a czech 17 years old who is trying to code the viruses say one year (half-year at win32 platform). I'm finding out many vx coders are becoming more and more jagged, smoked and gotten dring but I hope I'm not as they are (hm, maybe on the next vx meeting... :).

Where you get your handle?

> Yes, I've got some question as is this. A year ago when I was writing some cracking tutorials I needed a nick for me. My nick doesn't have any meaning - but I like it, it sounds good, yeah good.

Do your family/friends know about your virus activities?What do they think about it? Do you care of their opinion?

> Oh, man. No one from my friends and my parents don't know about I write viruses. Even though I told them what I do they couldn't understand why do I code them. Although if you'll tell them you're coding programs or viruses, they'd thought themselves you're a gamer maniac, anyway. Thus, I like it no one doesn't know what I do there.

How did you start out in computers?

> My the very first computer was SHARP MZ-800 (which it is even somewhere at home), at that time I was playing games for the most part but also I was learning something in basic. Perhaps seven years ago I've got "normal" computer at last and now my actual situation is P233,32Mb,16G HDD

What was your first virus?

> At the beginning (in 1996 I guess) I was trying to code some viruses at DOS platform. I didn't have any information what do for infection, I didn't know how to become resident and so on. It was hard time also I didn't have inet - so that no information. After two months I've bought the book about viruses (many vx technics like tunneling, memory resident, debugging etc - and many sources were inside, including OneHalf's poly algorithm). This was my break (and Benny's as well, he is also a czech guy) but after some months I left the writing of viruses and I started to code in high language (msvc++, bc++).

> Two months before holiday I decided I'll try to read something about windows viruses (i got www address on 29A by darkman), I downloaded all its zines and read and read. I remember the start was hard because I didn't know anything about win32 (what's different between asm16 and win32, why do I need kernel32 address, etc). After two months I've finished my the very first virus at Win95/98 platform: "Win95.Prizzy" (it is IDT, exe/rar/ace (sfx), the first mmx&copro poly engine which supports 238 type of poly-instructions). And it was my enter to the vx world.

How did you start out in the virus scene?

> Once I found www address of the VLAD magazine and I wrote to darkman if he doesn't know any similar (active) zines. Then I got 29A zines, read their articles, tutes etc. After win95.prizzy finishing I was accepted to 29A group. A month later I appeared myself on #virus.

Which programming languages do you use?

> My favorite language is C/C++. I code in MSVC++ and in C++ Builder. Then I know ASM for PC, I51, HC11 and Z80, and very well Pascal (Delphi). I also try to start with ASP, PHP and Perl for www programming.

Where do you live and how is the situation of the virus scene in your land?

> I live in the Czech Republic. Here isn't any virus scene, I know here only some coderz. Among vxers come under Benny/29A, mort/MATRiX and one man who is much interested in Win32 is ELiCZ (http://elicz.cjb.net). And the best antivirus company here is Grisoft (http://www.grisoft.com).

How many and which viriis did you write? Which do u like best? why?

> I wrote two viruses so far (Win95.Prizzy and the second Win32.Crypto). The second one is very huge but it has a lot of good ideas (rdea algorithm, multi-layer poly, anti-* etc). You can find its description by Virus Bulletin on my page. I don't want to write these big viruses but those which have good ideas, new features. I love my own viruses and my own coding style.

How do you name your viriis?

> It's hard to say. When I code the virus, I don't know its name but during that time I think it up. I think my name of virus must be short and sound good. I don't have here any boundary.

How do you spread your viriis?

> I don't spread my viruses - it isn't my style but no one said he can compile my or other source and spread it himself. I also allow to download my virus bins from homepage. Anyone can do that instead me.

Do you prefer a specific type of viriis? Which virus(es) do you like best?

> I prefer only Win32 viruses and I like these viruses: "Win9x.Inca", "Win32.Cabanas", "z0mbie-II" (idt), "Win32.Heretic", "Win32.Maya", "Win95.Babylonia" and many many more.

What E-zine you most of all like?

> I think good ezine is ljulus' vxtasy because you can find there all about win32 world, yeah all. Then I like slam zines, asterix zines, and of course 29a zines.

Which AV product do you like best and why? Which do you piss off most?

> I like AVP and NODICE antivirus.

What viruswriters you most of all respect?

> It's everyone who is in win32 world or who has perfect ideas. I like work of griyo, ljulus, asmod, vecna, flush, darkman and many many others. I also don't despise the beginning vx coders.

What do you think about virii genenerators?

> Heh, I don't like them because they're for non-vx people who will think themselves they just has finished virus. It don't have future, i guess, because it can generate only some mutation of the virus - not next different viruses utterly.

What do you think about macro viruses?

> Many vx coders say the macro writers aren't real coders because they know only macros and it isn't true coding. I don't think that myself. Yes, macros are here, we like their simplicity and their vba m$ platform. I like them and I'd like to code easy macro virus later.

What do you think about poly engines? Which do you like best?

> I like how poly engine can generate so many shapes of the virus body. I love their ideas, their complexity etc. I coded some poly engines (for coprocessor and mmx) but I'm founding out it must have own and easy idea. It doesn't need have a strong poly engine, all garbages you can code - but try to use easy but efficient idea to disable w32 av scanners. This chapter is open for me, I try to find new and new conveniences all the time. I would also admit I don't have so good ideas how I thought. So far all my poly engines was too complex and just I would like to change them to better - this is me dream I can realize.

What do you think about destructive viruses?

> As I said in my last cz-interview, a few vx coders have coded the first viruses with their destructive payloads and I think that tradition is still among us. I don't code any destructive viruses because I don't comprehend their meaning. Let's have no illusions we, true vxers, can't change it; but if you can take this question from the second side you'll find out every virus is destructive - we are evil :).

What are generally your goals in the virus writing context?

> Code my first macro virus and i-worm.

When, why and how have you joined 29A?

> When I was finishing my "Win9x.Prizzy" virus I contacted darkman if I could publish its source in next 29A issue #4. After some weeks I've sent him that source and he said I might be in 29A team after voting. Then in August 99 I've joined 29A. And why? I only knew their zines till then and by their articles and their discoveries I found out it has to be excelent group and that opinion I have still.

What do you think about the current VX scene worldwide?

> I think this time is very good, there are many excelent coders at scene. I like how every coder tries to use new discovered features in his viruses. We know a lot of things about win32 world but I still hope we'll discover something good backdoors in next months.

Do you do other computer stuff outside VX (hacking, phreaking, warez etc.)?

> I have only experience with cracking. No extra, I wrote only some tutorials.

How would you consider the perfect virus?

> It should be polymorphic, resident, stealth, full of anti-*, use internet to spread itself, dropper for macroz, archivez - and have own AI to remove its previous mistakes.

Your plans in the future as coder and in general?

> I have no plans. I only wanna do good viruses.

Where can you be reached ?

> Use my email prizzy@coderz.net or sometimes undernet #virus channel.

Any greetz?

> For all vx coders and for all avers, of course.