A Microsoft Windows virus hidden in the program SULFNBK.EXE will become active on June 1, 2001. See the warning here.

The Urban Legend Zeitgeist hates to give out such wishy-washy answers but this time the situation defies making a categorical statement.

What the email warning doesn't make clear is this: every computer running Microsoft Windows contains a utility program called SULFNBK.EXE. SULFNBK.EXE restores long file names and is a proper part of any Microsoft Windows installation.

Unfortunately, there is a nasty virus called 'W32/Magistr@MM' that propagates via email and can masquerade as an email attachment named 'SULFNBK.EXE.'

There are several important things to note:

• The presence of a file named SULFNBK.EXE does not necessarily mean your computer is infected with the W32/Magistr@MM virus.
• The W32/Magistr@MM virus becomes active immediately upon infecting a computer and does not lie dormant until June 1, 2001.
• Deleting any file named SULFNBK.EXE will not remove the W32/Magistr@MM virus nor will it restore any damage done by the virus.
• The W32/Magistr@MM virus can infect a number of other Microsoft Windows systems files besides SULFNBK.EXE.
• Popular antivirus programs such as Norton AntiVirus and McAffee VirusScan are capable of detecting and removing the W32/Magistr@MM virus.

The email is bunked and debunked here and here.

So is the email a hoax designed to frighten people into deleting a innocuous system utility or is a just an overreaction stemming from a misunderstanding of the W32/Magistr@MM virus?

Unfortunately, the Urban Legend Zeitgeist will have to give another wishy-washy answer: we don't know.

Symantec and McAffee, both makers of popular antivirus programs, label the SULFNBK.EXE email warning a hoax. And given the number of discrepancies between the warning and the real W32/Magistr@MM virus, one could argue that it is a hoax. On the other hand, it's not implausible that is was authored by someone with a firm misunderstanding of the W32/Magistr@MM virus and its cure.

One thing to note, the Urban Legend Zeitgeist does not specialize in analysis of computer virus warnings. There are a number of sites that do, please see the links below.

• SULFNBK.EXE Warning from the Symantec Antivirus Research Center
• Hoax Alert - SULFNBK from McAffee.com
• W32.Magistr.24876@mm from the Symantec Antivirus Research Center
• W32/Magistr@MM from McAffee.com
• General resources on computer virus hoaxes:
  • "Computer Virus Myths Home Page"
  • "CIAC Internet Hoaxes" from the US Department of Energy's Computer Incident Advisory Capability
  • "Symantec Antivirus Research Center" from Symantec
  • "Virus Information Library" from McAfee.com

• Other virus hoaxes in the Urban Legend Zeitgeist:
  • 'New Pictures of Family' virus hoax
  • 'UPGRADE INTERNET2' virus hoax
  • 'A Virtual Card for You' virus hoax
  • 'An Internet Flower For You' virus hoax
  • 'Let's Watch TV' virus hoax
  • 'Win a Holiday' virus hoax
  • 'A.I.D.S.' virus hoax
  • 'JOIN THE CREW' virus hoax
  • 'PENPAL GREETINGS' virus hoax
  • Budweiser Frogs screen saver virus hoax
  • 'CELCOM/CELLSAVER.EXE' screen saver virus hoax
  • 'Happy New Year' Virus Hoax
  • 'Lump of Coal' Virus Hoax
  • Microsoft Y2K Fix Hoax
  • WOBBLER Email Virus Hoax
  • It Takes Guts to Say 'Jesus' Virus Hoax

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