Interview with VirusBuster [NOP/VTC]
Interviewed by foxz
[September 1998]

VX community not only VX coder some ppl chose collecting (like VirusBuster) or make great documentation about VX (like Cicatrix ). This time i interviewed VirusBuster one of 'X'-29A member the most active and respected virus group with kewl mamber. I would like tell you this is my second interview with non VX coder this guys is virus collector. Enjoy...

Introduce your self, your handle, life hobbies etc..

> I'm a 24 years old spanish boy and i use to name myself VirusBuster into the VX scene. I'm one of the best private virii collectors in the world.Informatic is my main hobby. I like all related to computers, but mainly viruses, cracking and since some months ago, hacking.Other hobbies are music and basketball. In music, the blues is the kind of music i like more. People as Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, Jimmy Thackery, Popa Chubby, Albert Collins, Albert King or Eric Clapton are my favourites. About basketball, i used to play it frequently, but now, i use to see it at TV. I love how Michel Jordan plays. (Who doesn't like him? ;)

Have you written viruses?

> No, i never wrote a virus. I like viruses but i don't code them. My intereston virii go in other paths. Anyway, i know to recognize a good virus when i see it.

How do you name your viruses?

> Well, some years ago i mutated a virus, AntiCad, and i named it as my girlfriend. (Now, some AVs detect it with that name)

Which programming languages do you know?

> I know BASIC, Cobol, and a bit of ASM.I'm not strong in coding questions. When i need a program i try to code myself, but if i'm not able to do it i ask it to Wintermute or Tcp. They are kewl coders... ;-)

When you start out in VX?

> I start out in 1993, when i knew Gordon Shumway. He introduced me in VX world. He gave me some viruses and explained how they work. I found the viruses an interesting thing, then i dediced to learn more about them.

What your fav AV? and the reason ?

AVP, of course. It's my favourite AV because it's fast, frequently updated, it detects a lot of viruses (the last appeared in the world) and a thing i like A LOT... AVP is made by only a fucking one guy. Hey!!!!, Dr. Solomon or F-Prot or other "great" AVs have a lot of people working on the product. AVP is Eugene Kaspersky.

Other interesting questions are:

1. AVP detects viruses that other AVs don't want to detect or they can't. AVP detects very complex, usually polymorphic, viruses that no other AVs detect. (Usually only Dr. Web does it) And the reason is not that the other AVs don't have the virus.
2. I think Eugene is kewl with VX people. He talks with you if you speaknice with him.

> I can tell a history...

> Once upon a time, when AVP was only for DOS and it was 2.0 version someone at Dark Node, the best spanish VX BBS, fucked AVP making a program that modified AVP in memory, so AVP didn't detect a shit. The program was sent to Eugene and when 2.2 version was released we tried the same program and we got.

> AVP scanning in memory for viruses...
> Memory modified at 1234:5678 - ;-)

> Hey, Eugene had looked for the code and he fixed the patch. And not only it... He was saying us: "Hey, guys, i fixed the hole as you can see... hehe".

> Other AVers never had recognized the bug or had made that Eugene made. Then, i love AVP and i think Eugene is kewl guy.

How about VX move in USA, tell Us

> I'm in Spain, but i know about VX in USA through internet. I think USA ruled the VX scene in the early 90's. People like Phalcom/Skism made great things for VX scene. But soon other people taked the power... Qark and Quatum first and GriYo, Jacky Qwerty or Stainless Steel Rat then. Nowadays USA have better virii collectors than virii coders.

Do you like a specific type of virus?

> Polymorphic viruses are great... They are a headache for AVs, then i like them very much. }X->

What do you think about destructive viruses?

> They suck...

> I think that nobody wants that nothing crash / fuck / format / trash his HD or other components as Bios or Flash Bios... virii coders included.

> Then i don't understand why they put destructive stuff in his viruses.

What's your opinion about wordmacro viruses?

> I know there are a lot of virii coders that hate Wordmacro or other macro viruses (Excel, AmiPro, Works or Access). But i think the main question is create life, and if you create a macro virus, you are creating life then it's welcomed for me.

What about virus generation kits and such?

> Usually they are shit. I only like a few vcks a bit.

What is your view on macro viruses vs. assembly or HLL viruses?

> If you want to make a virus and you don't know enough to code it in ASM or Pascal, or C... and you are able to do it in macro language then... don't worry, be happy... ;)

Describe the perfect virus.

> A virus that infects Eugene Kaspersky's computer and he never know it.

Should viruses be illegal?

> You are free to code ALL you want. So, you are free to code viruses. Even you can show your work to other people. (Free speach) Use a virus to infect a computer should be illegal. In Spain is illegal use a virus to infect a computer, but it's not illegal code a virus. I think that's the best law about viruses.

How you manage your collections

> I have my virii collection zipped on my HD. (And backups on CD, of course)

> When i process my collection i do the next:

> 1. I create several directories and unzip the viruses there.
> 2. I make log files using AVP, Dr. Solomon and F-Prot AVs with the last updates available.
> 3. I run VirSort, a tool to create a virii database using log files.

> That's all. Then i trade with people using log files and comparing other people log files with mines using VirSort.

Have infected by your own collection?

> Yeah, 2 or 3 times... I use Norton Commander to move viruses from one directory to other. And some time i pressed ENTER key and i ran a virus. Luckyly, i always executed a simple com infector. 2 minutes to fix the problem and all fine again on my computer... ''8-)

Can you tell Us How many you have viri till we made this interview (week #2 on September 1998)

> Today, September 18th 1998 i have:
> 10736 viruses for AVP.
> 11215 viruses for Dr. Solomon.
> 13931 viruses for F-Prot.

> And i think i have 16 or 17.000 viruses in total.

Tell Us how to be a virus collector, may be the reader interest to be a collector

> Oh, it's easy...
> 1. Surf the www looking for viruses: www.oninet.es/usuarios/darknode is a good point to start. It's my home page and it has a lot of virii links.
> 2. Go to www.oninet.es/usuarios/darknode/utility.htm and get VirSort and logs converting tools. VirSort will create a database of the viruses you have using log files.
> 3. Get the last AVP, Dr. Solomon and F-Prot AVs in order to make log files and create your virii databases using VirSort.
> 4. IRC is another good place to get new viruses. Trade with people. (But don't be annoying asking about trade viruses... you can be kicked). I got more viruses trading at irc that downloading them from www's or ftp's.

> And the last question about collect viruses... You can get a lot of friendsover the world meanwhile you trade with people. Now, several years after i started to collect i have friends from so different countries as: Denmark, Netherlands, Italy, France, Russia, USA,Germany, Sweden, Brasil, Philipines, Venezuela, Per£, ... If i had not started to collect viruses, i never had met them.

Which individual or what group do you like/respect in the VX world?

> I like/respect Jacky Qwerty very much.

Which individual or what group do you like/respect out the VX world?

> The bluesman Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Are/were you a member of a VX group?

> I was a 29A member. Now i'm NOP and Virus Trading Center member.

Who are you in the real live?

> A normal guy... well, all normal you can be when you are 1.95 cm tall. Hmm... wait... not so normal. I don't smoke and i don't drink alcohol.

I sad whe read Cicatrix statement, any comment with his statement?

> OF COURSE!!!! Where are the fucking bitchs that annoyed Cicatrix with their stupid comments? Oh, god... i'ld kill'em!!! You work hard and for free and always there will be somebody that will say shit to you... :-(

This space is for you, just write what ever you like (no Space limit)

Maybe when someone read this interview can think: bah... VirusBuster is only a virii collector. To this people i'ld like to say the next: I'm not only a virii collector. I'm a PRO virus guy. I try to help VX people in all i can. I don't code viruses, yeah, but i have made more for VX scene than a lot of virii coders. I helped in the creation of 29A virii group. Without me 29A never had appeared.

Now, i'm working on "Dark Node II", a BBS for VX people with members like:
b0z0, darkman, Stainless Steel Rat, Vecna, Jacky Qwerty, Z0mbie, Rajaat,Reptile, StarZero, Mental Driller, Dope, Wintermute, virogen, GriYo, Int13h or Virtual Daemon.

Hey, if i joined some unknown spanish people interested on virii and 29A appeared... what could happen if i join some of the best virii coders? Well, i hope your opinion will be different now.

Ok, and now the greetings section... ;-)

First, I'ld like to thank you, foxz, for the interview. I feel nice knowing someone is interested on my opinions.

I'ld like to thank Gordon Shumway, the guy that introduced me in the VX world.

And all the other greets go to:

- Dark Node's VIPs and all the other users of my BBS.
- Poltergeist, because he was a friend, not only a virii collector for me, when i started to collect viruses.
- My other virii collectors friends:
- Shadow Seeker (hey, what's up with VS2000 ;)
- Slage Hammer (when are you going to visit me?)
- Leugim San, because he is a good friend.
- All virii coders and virii related people i know.

Where can you be reached if at all?

> At www.oninet.es/usuarios/darknode, via e-mail at darknode@oninet.es or at #virus channel at Arrakis server in IRC. (irc.arrakis.es)