MEMZ
 |
| MEMZ | |
|---|---|
 A computer infected with the MEMZ Trojan. Depicted is one of the malware's key payloads, a "screen tunneling" effect. | |
| Malware details | |
| Type | Trojan horse |
| Author | Leurak |
| Technical details | |
| Platforms | Windows XP and later |
MEMZ /miːmz, mɛmz/ is a trojan horse created for Microsoft Windows.[1][2][3][4][5] The name of the malware refers to its purpose as a humorous Trojan intended to replicate the effects of early computer viruses.
Origin
MEMZ was originally created by Leurak for YouTuber danooct1's Viewer-Made Malware series.[4]
Payloads
The trojan gained notoriety for its unique and satirical payloads which automatically activate after each other, some with delay. Examples of payloads include displaying a Windows Notepad file that reads:
YOUR COMPUTER HAS BEEN FUCKED BY THE MEMZ TROJAN. Your computer won't boot up again, so use it as long as you can! :D Trying to kill MEMZ will cause your system to be destroyed instantly, so don't try it :D
Others include randomly moving the cursor slightly; opening up comedic Google searches under Google.co.ck, such as "how to remove a virus" and "how to get money" on the user's web browser; reversing text; and opening various random Microsoft Windows programs, such as the calculator or command prompt. True to the program's name, many parts of the trojan are based on Internet memes; for example, the trojan overwrites the master boot record with an animation of Nyan Cat.[1][2][3][4][5] Leurak also created a safer version of MEMZ called MEMZ-Clean. The clean version allows the non-destructive payloads to be safely tested and gives the user full control about which payloads are active.[6]
References
- 1 2 White, Daniel (July 8, 2016). "Viewer-Made Malware 8 - MEMZ (Win32) (flashing lights warning)". YouTube. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- 1 2 Dean, Madeleine (August 26, 2016). "MEMZ virus: what is it and how it affects Windows PC?". Windows Report. Archived from the original on 2018-07-05. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- 1 2 Oberhaus, Daniel (July 9, 2016). "Watch This Malware Turn a Computer into a Digital Hellscape". Motherboard. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- 1 2 3 Maiberg, Emaneul (July 30, 2016). "Preserving the Ancient Art of Getting Pwned". Motherboard. Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- 1 2 Kushman. "Hãy xem cách Malware biến máy tính của bạn thành một địa ngục số kinh hoàng như thế nào". GenK (in Vietnamese). Retrieved December 21, 2018.
- ↑ "MEMZ 4.0 - The clean version (including download)". KC Protrade Services Inc. 2017-06-01. Archived from the original on 2017-12-21. Retrieved 2021-04-14.