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SLAM4.007: Interview with Raid/SLAM

eZine lover (@eZine)

Published in

Slam

· 1 Mar 2022

ASIC at home

For this issue of our magazine, I choose to interview one of the newest SLAM members: RustBug. He is a hell of a guy and he's one of my best friends. He is also the only guy I know that codes viruses in ASIC. But, what is ASIC and what does it offer? Read the interview to find out...

'Ø'=Virtual Daemon (me)
=RustBug

Ø Give our readers a short description of yourself...

A short description:
Well, I'm 19 years old. And I've been using computers since I was 9 years old... er 8... I started with a color computer 3, and worked my way up to a 80286 which I liked :)... then, I eventually learned enough about them to build my own 486.. As for my life shit... Umm, I always hated school...
Didn't much care for fights everyday... and, My family life sucks.. heh...

Ø Why did you choose the handle "RustBug"? I know that your last handle was "Casio". Why the changing? Does it mean something more cooler? ;)

Well, my cats name is Red Rusty bug. So, I changed it because I got tired of being asked the time :)

Ø Tell us about your first computer related experience...

My very first computer related experience was when I was 7... I built a little clock counter thing.

Ø What was your first virus related experience?

Heh... Well, after I got my 80286, I wanted to learn about viruses... So, I downloaded some from pirate hacker boards in my area, and oversees (parents loved the bill). And, tried to figure them out. I knew the theories behind em, but at the time, ASM was a complete blur to me... I didn't even know what int was...

Ø How many viruses have you written so far? Are they "in the wild"?

Umm... I've written maybe 6 or 7.. and 2 that i know of are in the wild yes. I'm still new in the VX scene.

Ø How do you name your viruses?

Well, I usually start writing one, and come up with an odd name afterwards, or maybe sometimes before :-)

Ø You are the only programmer I know that codes in ASIC. Tell our readers a little about ASIC and what does it offers.

Hmm... Well, ASIC is a cross between basic, yes, basic, that isn't a typo, and asm... Asm being the way it likes complex commands broken into little ones. :)
... and its use of int calls.

Hmm.. Well, it doesn't offer anything for those people who think basic is still for beginners... But, for those smart enough to know better, it offers fast compiling, small (usually) tight code... and it's fairly friendly...
It also lets you code in pure asm and link it to your program too...

Ø Why did you choose to code in ASIC in the first place? Why not Pascal or C/C++?

Well... I hate bloated exes... Hmm, pascal and c++ let you code shit better I suppose.. But, I'm a messy programmer, and I don't like being forced to code in a certain way. Asic and asm suit my coding style, whereas c++ and pascal don't.

Ø Your virus, RustyBug is now spreaded all over the world, and no anti-virus program can trace it so far... Tell us a little about it!

Well, its a prepender (actually, all of my viruses so far are, for some reason, I like coding prependers..) It infects dos/windows/win95/winnt and probably os/2 exe/com files... Although, I haven't tested it with any os/2 machines...Umm.. It has a sideways moving starfield for its main payload, it its not destructive.. Atleast, not on purpose...

Ø What's your opinion about HLL vs asm vs macro viruses?

Well, unlike most VX, I like viruses period. I'm not the kind of person to bitch and piss and moan if a virus isn't coded in pure asm. Although, pure asm viruses can do more, usually smaller, I still think HLL has its purpose too. Macro viruses are neat in my opinion...

Ø Besides viruses coding, what do you do in real life?

Well, in real life, I'm a computer technician. Basically, Computers are my life, as sad and pathetic as my life is...

Ø Do you know other programming languages besides ASIC?

Yes, but almost all of them are dialects of basic... What can I say, I like to program in basic.. and for those of you who think basic sucks, Fuck off.
I can code a little in asm, and I'm currently learning asm... C++, well, I have a compiler for it, but I haven't as yet bothered to learn it.

Ø For how long have you been in the virus scene?

Actually coding in the scene, oh... Maybe a year now... before, I was studying the VX scene...and eventually decided to try writing one... I wrote Stars (never released it, I don't think anyone even has the source to it)... it was just a simple overwriter.. But, I wrote it, so I was proud :)

Ø Did you ever felt that your life is somehow changed because of viruses?

Umm... a little, my life sucks, but.. atleast now, I have something to maybe one day earn respect for doing.

Ø What do you do in real life?

Hmm... service computers... and stuff... :) get high.. :)

Ø What is your opinion about virus generators?

Well, for the most part, I don't like them. because it lets lamers who can't code to save there own mother create viruses... Which shouldn't be.

Ø What about polymorphic engines?

I like em, atleast you have to be able to code a little to use one, atleast the ones I've seen.

Ø What is your favourite virus/virus generator/poly engine?

My favorite virus would have to be Green Catapillar... heh, I like it. My fav virus generator would have to be nrlg, and poly engine... well, I don't have a favorite, I've never used one.

Ø How do you see the virus scene? Past, present and future...

Well...I like the virus scene, except the leet aspect of it. ie: 'asm or die' attitude... To me, if you can code a reasonably decent virus, what does it matter which lang was used? The person you infect really doesn't give a shit what lang it was written in, they just want it gone :)

Ø What was/is the best virus magazine in your opinion?

Well, I don't rate virus zines like that, I feel each has something for the user to learn, In whatever language that user codes in.

Ø What was/is the best virus group in your opinion?

The only ones that I think suck are the "your lame if you don't understand this" ones...

Ø You are (or were) a member of LT and SGWW. Why did U choose to join SLAM?

Well, I'd heard about SLAM Long before I got into virus coding, so... i figured, I will join it one day. And, walla I did, and actually got in :)

Ø What is your opinion about SLAM?

I like slam... You don't have to be a fucking asm wizard to join, and they respect you for whatever skills you have, and there not afraid to help you either. If you have a question, even if its an easy one, SLAM members help each other. :-)

Ø What do you think about destructive viruses?

I don't like them... Trashing someones FAT table isn't new, and it sure as hell isn't cool. You want your virus to spread don't you? Well, trashing the host kind of defeats the purpose of your virus.

Ø Do you think that there could be such thing as a 'good virus'?

Hmm, I suppose so..

Ø How do you see the AV world? Past, present and future...

They suck... Make money off our work... 'Nuff Said.

Ø What is the best AV software (in ur opinion)?

Hmm, F-Prot and Dr Solomons, and even AVP... Forget McAfee.

Ø Are you or were you involved in any parts of the underground (hacking, cracking, phreacking, etc)?

Umm, a little cracking and bbs hacking yes. And pirating (which I still do on occasion, if you can call that 'underground')

Ø Do any of your friends/parents/family know that you are coding (or collecting) computer viruses? What do they think about that?

Nope, they don't.. They'd probably get pissed... theres all kinds of things they don't know about me.

Ø Which guys do you respect most in the virus scene?

I respect anyone who atleast tries to code a virus.