Studying Viruses

I was thinking to intentionally acquire viruses from limewire in efforts to study the code it was written in. Granted, I could go to sites to look at some already submitted, but some things are left out from the clutches of script kiddies. (thats the last thing I want to be right now)

Sadly, I'm drawing a blank as to how to open them safely. The best I could think of iin my search on google is to invoke wordpad or text editior and open them from there. in efforts to prevent it from activating

Though that does not save me from a chance the virus doesn't need me to open it in the first place. If anyone has any ideas to save me from total ownage, please give some input.

nine-ball wrote: Sadly, I'm drawing a blank as to how to open them safely. The best I could think of iin my search on google is to invoke wordpad or text editior and open them from there. in efforts to prevent it from activating Viewing them through notepad won't reveal very much. Study some open source viruses instead ;)

Something like this, perhaps?

http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2007/10/05/no-more-worries-when-running-untrusted-programs/

Set up a VM and study it from there.

study assembly

Futility wrote: Something like this, perhaps?

http://www.raymond.cc/blog/archives/2007/10/05/no-more-worries-when-running-untrusted-programs/

Thanks for the link man, I didn't know such a thing existed :]

sharpskater80 wrote: study assembly

Sounds like a good idea! thank you

check out vx.netlux.org and do what the others said.

fuser wrote: check out vx.netlux.org and do what the others said.

great site. also http://www.offensivecomputing.net/