In the past few days I have received 5 e-mails warning me about a virus that mysteriously everyone is finding on their hard drive, but their virus software does not detect. This should have been their first clue that it is a hoax.
For anyone reading this, if you receive an e-mail regarding what I have at the bottom of this entry, reply to the person who sent it to you and tell them not to be so gullible next time. Go to www.snopes2.com (which is where I got this) to verify any e-mail warning you get. Whether it is a supposed computer virus, a lost child, a disease that is being spread through needles in coin slots in pay phones, or a kidney theft ring anywhere in the world, PLEASE VERIFY WARNINGS BEFORE PASSING THEM ALONG!!!!!
Virus name: JDBGMGR.EXE.
Status: Hoax.
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2002]
I got this message about a virus that can produce lot of dammage [sic] to your computer. If you follow the instructions which are very easy, you would be able to "clean" your computer.
Apparently the virus spreads through the address book . I got it, then may be I passed it to you too, sorry.
The name of the virus is jdbgmgr.exe and is transmitted automatically through the Messanger and addresses book of the OUTLOOK. The virus is neither detected by Norton nor by Mc Afee. It remains in lethargy ("sleeping") for 14 days and even more, before it destroys the whole system. It can be eliminated during this period.
The steps for the elimination of the virus are the following:
1. go to START and click FIND
2. in "FILES andFOLDERS" write: jdbgmgr.exe
3. be sure that it searches in "C"
4. click SEARCH NOW
5. if the virus appears (with icon of a small bear) and the name"jdbgmgr.exe" . don't open it !!! in any case !!!
6. click the right button of the mouse and destroy it
7. emty the recyclage bin
If you find the virus in your computer please send this mail to all the people in your addresses book .
thanks.
Origins: Like the SULFNBK.EXE hoax, this bogus virus warning (also known as the "Bear Virus") attempts to lure gullible users into deleting perfectly innocuous, standard Windows files from their systems.
In this case the target file is JDBGMGR.EXE, a Java Debug Manager program used by the Microsoft Java runtime engine. It is included as part of a standard Windows installation, is not a virus, and should not be deleted. JDBGMGR.EXE isn't a necessary part of the Windows operating system and will not cause the system to fail it if is accidentally deleted, although some Java applets may not function properly without it.
(The icon for this file is a graphic of a bear like the one shown to the left.)
If you have already deleted the JDBGMGR.EXE file and want to recover it, you should use a file restoration utility or retrieve the file from the operating system installation discs that came with your PC.
See the links below for more information on the JDBGMGR.EXE hoax.
Additional information: Jdbgmgr.exe file hoax
(Symantec Security Response)
Jdbgmgr.exe hoax
(McAfee Virus Information Library)
Last updated: 22 April 2002