Sophos campaigns
to save Christmas elves from cruelty
8th December 1999
Elf Bowling game is not infected with a
computer virus
The game which stars Santa Claus trying to
knock down a pack of elves with a bowling ball, is causing
panic amongst companies terrified of computer viruses.
Sophos,
one of the world's leading anti-virus companies, has been
deluged with requests for information on a "new computer
virus" called ELFBOWL.EXE. Companies have received email
warnings and are naturally concerned that the computer game is
genuinely infected with a virus, designed to trigger on
December 25th.
All copies of the game, ELFBOWL.EXE,
examined so far by Sophos Anti-Virus researchers have been
found to be uninfected.
"The warning message seems to be
spreading rapidly between companies," said Graham Cluley,
senior technology consultant for Sophos Anti-Virus,
"However, all the versions we have seen to date have been
completely harmless and uninfected. Games like this spread
rapidly at Christmas time between workers - although this game
presents no current danger, companies should explain to their
workers the danger of distributing executable files."
Sophos points out that although all samples
of ELFBOWL.EXE they have examined to date have proven to be
virus-free, it is possible for someone to deliberately infect
the program at a later date.
Sophos has posted more information about the
Elf Bowling hoax here.
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