Have you ever wished you could create your own virus for the sole purpose of learning new concepts or simply to prank someone? The process of creating a virus is not a game, it requires time and extensive technical preparation, but making it is still within the reach of all those who decide to undertake this project with commitment and concentration. The process behind creating a virus can teach you a lot about how programming languages, operating systems, and computer network security protocols work. Read on to find out how.
Steps
Step 1. Determine which operating system you are going to attack
The target most loved by hackers is undoubtedly the Windows operating system produced by Microsoft, especially the older versions. Most users who adopt older versions of Windows do not update their computers with the security patches that Microsoft regularly releases, thus leaving them exposed to vulnerabilities that are identified by users and hackers. These problems are corrected automatically in new versions of Windows.
Both Macs and Linux systems are much less exposed to computer viruses thanks to the way their permissions complex works and the architecture of the entire operating system. Statistics indicate that 95% of all viruses that are produced target computers that use the Windows operating system
Step 2. Decide how to spread your virus
The intrinsic meaning of the word "virus" refers to something that spreads autonomously. For your program to fall into this category you will need to choose one of the many diffusion methods and you will need to do so before you start coding, as it is one of the basic aspects of the code creation process. Here is a short list of the most commonly used methods of spreading a virus:
- Executable files (. EXE,. BAT,. COM, etc.): programs of this type require direct user action to run and are often disguised as other elements, such as a harmless image.
- Macros (Microsoft Office): Macros are full-fledged programs that can be inserted into documents and email messages. These tools target Word, Outlook, and all products that use macros. The most common method of spreading this type of virus is email in the form of attachments to an email.
- Web script: This is malicious code that is inserted directly into a web page without the owner knowing.
Step 3. Choose which OS vulnerability to target
The most famous viruses are based on known vulnerabilities of a particular program or the operating system itself, which they exploit to perform the actions for which they were created. This step in the development of a virus requires a significant amount of time and technical knowledge, as testing and research is required to discover a new vulnerability. However, there are communities of users around the web that can help you tackle this problem.
Step 4. Determine what your virus will do
Once the program is successful in infecting the system and taking control of it, what do you want it to do? In this case the spectrum of possibilities is very broad and can range from doing nothing to deleting the data that the computer contains or worse. Remember that creating and spreading a computer virus is a very serious crime in most countries of the world.
Step 5. Choose the programming language to use to write the virus code
To be able to perform this step, you must have a basic technical background and knowledge of at least one programming language or a scripting tool. More complex viruses often involve using (and in-depth knowledge) of multiple programming languages. In order to create a truly effective virus you will need to know very well the "assembly" languages.
- If you want to create a virus based on an executable file, a great place to start is with the languages C or C ++.
- If you want to take advantage of macros, you will need to learn the programming language related to the software product your virus refers to, for example Microsoft Office.
- The Visual Basic programming language can be used to create viruses targeting Windows systems.
Step 6. Start coding your virus
It is a long development process, especially if this is your first experience in the world of programming. In this case the secret is to experiment as much as possible to learn and study the correct method, based on the programming language in use, to replicate the code. There are online forums and blogs that provide tutorials on many programming languages.
Learn to create a polymorphic code. This aspect is essential to ensure that the code is automatically modified every time the virus replicates itself during the propagation phase, making the task of antivirus software more difficult. Creating code based on polymorphism is an advanced technique and its implementation varies depending on the language chosen
Step 7. Study a way to hide your virus
In addition to polymorphism, there are other methods that make it possible to hide a virus. Encryption is one of the methods most used by those who develop computer viruses. A lot of practice and study is required to master this technique, but it is a great way to extend the life of a virus.
Step 8. Test your virus
After creating a working and stable prototype of the program, test it using as many machines and configurations as possible. If you have the ability to use virtual machines with different configurations, this step will be much easier.
- Make sure the machines you will be testing are not networked to avoid releasing the virus before it is complete. Place the test machines on an isolated local network in order to control the spread and effects of the virus.
- Edit the code you wrote based on your test results. Fix any problems and bugs you encountered during testing.
Step 9. Spread the virus
When you are satisfied with the performance of your program, it is time to release it on the net. Before actually doing this you should ask yourself if you are prepared to face all the consequences of such an action. It may be more beneficial to leverage all the knowledge and experience gained during the virus creation process to develop a new project.
