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Documentation for The Nowhere Utilities
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Introduction
------------
During my time a viral developer, I've quickly discovered many
operations that are quite useful for creating virii, trojans, and logic
bombs that DOS and most popular utility programs (PC-Tools, Norton
Utilities, etc.) either can't do or require too much time to do. Some
other operations, such as being able to alter the effective size of a
file, are useful in many non-viral situations. So I developed a set of
thirteen utilities, presented here, to help the aspiring rogue
programmer in his quest for electronic mayhem. (Several of these are
derived from ideas originally used in the now infamous C-Virus.) So
without further adieu, I give you (drum roll) **The Nowhere
Utilities**!
General notes
-------------
The following applies to all of the Nowhere Utilities: all will
give a command summary if "/?" is given as the first parameter; all
utilities preserve file date, time, and attributes, unless they are
specifically meant to change them (FIXATTR and FIXTIME in specific);
all utilities will work on read-only files (they automatically remove
the attribute if any writing needs to be performed and reset it when
.COM format for faster load times. All of the utilities were
finished); and all programs are in the written entirely in Borland C++
v3.0 using the tiny memory model (needed to create .COM files), and all
were written by myself, Nowhere Man, with some suggestions and comments
provided by friends, especially Rigor Mortis, Leeking Virus, and Guido
Sanchez. Thanks guys. Now, on with the utilities...
The utilities and their many uses
---------------------------------
Included in this set of utilities are ten separate programs. Below
is a list of them, as well a short summary of what they do and possible
uses for them. In addition to the summaries below, running any Nowhere
Utility with /? as a parameter displays the syntax for the program.
CIPHER
------
CIPHER is just that: a cipher. Give CIPHER a 32-bit decimal number as a
key, followed by one or more file names (wildcards allowed), and it
will encrypt the files. To unencrypt them, run CIPHER again with the
same key. As you've probably guessed, CIPHER uses an XOR-type
encryption method, but I've thrown a few modifications in to make it
harder to crack. Suggested uses: to encrypt things you don't want other
people to see (duh). I'd advise encrypting any sensitive data that
could be used against you in court, such as passwords, card numbers,
and phreaking codes (assuming, of course, you actually keep these
things in files). When you need these things, simply decipher them.
Nowhere Utilities v2.0 - 1 - (C) 1992 Nowhere Man and [NuKE]
This way if the feds ever seize your computer while your at work or
school, there is no data for them to use as evidence during your trial.
This is also good for encrypting important E-Mail: tell the receiver,
either over the phone or on a different board, what the key will be.
Then run CIPHER on the program and use DBGSCRPT (see below) to generate
a DEBUG script to re-create the file. Do an ASCII upload of the DEBUG
script. The receive can just run the script through DEBUG, use CIPHER
to decrypt it, and the read the message, run the file, whatever. Great
for use on untrustworthy or suspicious boards, or places where the
sysop likes to snoop through other peoples' private mail.
CRYPTCOM
--------
CRYPTCOM is handy utility that allows you to encrypt .COM files
but still leave them executable. To invoke CRYPTCOM, just type
"CRYPTCOM" followed by one or more files that you wish to protect;
wildcards are allowed, and the ".COM" extension is assumed if none is
given. They key is chosen by CRYPTCOM automatically, so you don't need
to supply one. This program works by encrypting your .COM program and
adding some decryption code to the end. The file decrypts itself in RAM
at run-time, leaving the actual file unaltered with each execution of
the encrypted program. Suggested use: encrypting virii to slip past
virus scanners. It's rather obvious what to do: just run CRYPTCOM on
the virus. It is now unscannable, and it still runs normally. However,
just like the PKLITE trick of old, all subsequent infections will
contain the original virus, so basically, this just gets the virus in
the front door. Unlike PKLITE, though, no scanner (as of yet, at least)
can decrypt a CRYPTCOMed file and scan it, so you don't have to worry
about recent versions of SCAN catching you. (Also see NOLZEXE below for
another tactic.)
DBGSCRPT
--------
DBGSCRPT creates, as its name suggests, DEBUG scripts. DBGSCRPT
takes two arguments: the input file and the name of the file to contain
the script. To re-create the original file from the script, just type
"DEBUG < (scriptname)" and watch it do it's work. Note that wildcards
are not allowed by this program, and also note that DEBUG will not
allow itself to write .EXE files. If you are creating a script from an
.EXE file, rename it to a different extension before running DBGSCRPT,
and instruct whomever is receiving the script to change it back to an
.EXE when DEBUG is done. Suggested uses: creating scripts from binary
files to include in text files or E-Mail. This way you could post your
latest creation on your favorite virus board without having to upload
anything and without having to post your valuable source. You can also
include it in text files you put out (magazines, etc.) so you don't
have to distribute the virus in a separate file; the reader just cuts
out the script and runs it through DEBUG (40-Hex magazine is fond of
this technique). Again, no source code needs to change hands. Quite
useful, in the right situations.
Nowhere Utilities v2.0 - 2 - (C) 1992 Nowhere Man and [NuKE]
DECRYPT
-------
DECRYPT is, as far as I know, a one-of-a-kind utility -- it will
crack almost all 8-bit and many 16-bit encryption schemes. There's only
one catch: you must know at least five consecutive characters in the
original (unencrypted) data. This string is passed as the first
parameter. The remaining arguments are the names of files to be
decrypted, wildcards allowed. DECRYPT will go through each file given,
attempting to decrypt it with a special proprietary algorithm which
will crack most standard 8- and 16-bit encryption schemes in under ten
seconds. If the file can be decrypted then DECRYPT will tell you which
encryption method and what key was used, and a file with the same base
name as the original and an extension of .DEC will be created
containing the decrypted contents of the file. Sometimes DECRYPT will
give a false positive, an invalid decryption; this is a normal
side-effect of the ultra-quick algorithm it uses (if you do get a false
positive, chances are the file couldn't be decrypted anyway).
DECRYPT has many uses. It's great for decrypting a virus attached
to a program, so long as you know a string in the virus ("*.COM" is a
good bet), or can be used to view those annoying encrypted data files
that too many programs seem to come with.
Please note that not every file can be decrypted; DECRYPT will
break the most common algorithms used in most low-security applications
(ie: adding/subtracting a constant, XORing by a constant, etc.). Also
make sure that the file you're dealing with is indeed encrypted. Not
every unreadable file is encoded, and unless you're pretty sure your
just wasting your time (albeit very little of it). Files must be under
32k for DECRYPT to work (DECRYPT loads the entire file into memory for
speed, so larger files will overflow the buffer). Outside of these
restrictions, DECRYPT is a valuable tool for any aspiring hacker.
FAKEFILE
--------
Picture this: you've just written up a great trojan or virus and
you've placed it into an executable file (or REPLACEd one). What's the
problem? Well, wouldn't you be suspicious if you downloaded a ZIP file
that was supposed to be a "Great shareware text editor" and all that
was in it was one lousy 5k .EXE? Ignoring the problem of documentation,
FAKEFILE is a great way to create phoney data files to go with your
virii and trojans. Now instead of renaming .ROL files to .DATs (as I've
observed in one lame trojan), you can make your own. FAKEFILE takes two
or more arguments. The first one is the size of the dummy file. Here
you can either give a fixed number, or use the -r switch, which will
make each file a random length between 100 and 33767 bytes. The
remaining parameters are the names of the fake files to create.
Wildcards are not allowed (duh). In addition to filling the files with
random bullshit, if FAKEFILE recognizes the extension on your filename
(.EXE, .GIF, .OBJ, etc.) then it will add a fake header to the file to
make it "legit" to programs that read those types of files. For
example, if you typed "FAKEFILE 30345 HOTSEX.GIF" FAKEFILE would create
a 30345-byte file containing the header "GIF87a" and 30339 bytes of
random data. Of course when you go to view the "GIF" you'll get
errors... Another tip: avoid "even" file sizes for most files. It may
seem suspicious, depending on the nature of the files.
Nowhere Utilities v2.0 - 3 - (C) 1992 Nowhere Man and [NuKE]
As you might have guessed by now, there is another, and in my
.GIFs, .ROLs, even whole utilities, .EXE and all, and upload them
opinion, very lame, use for this utility. You can create fake to boards
for extra file points. I HIGHLY DISCOURAGE THIS. If everyone went
around doing this then you'd spend most of your time downloading crap,
and BBSing would die. Of course this is a great use if your dealing
with a real lame board; upload tons of dummy games and .GIFs under
several user names. The other users will get pissed at the sysop, and
his board will go down in no time. PLEASE ONLY DO THIS TO LAMERS; good
boards deserve to live. Again, heed my warning and don't be an asshole;
if you ever do download a wasteful file on any board, please report it
to the sysop. If you are a sysop and are reading this, I'd encourage
you to blacklist anyone who does such a stupid thing.
FAKEWARE
--------
If you're like me, then lame k-rad k00l "ELITE" boards probably
annoy the shit out of you. What better way to say "I hate you" then
with a virus, the gift that keeps on giving... Unfortunately, some of
these people actually know that games have more than one file, etc. and
won't run suspicious looking programs. FAKEWARE takes care of all of
this. With one command you can create a realistic looking .ZIP of a
"0-30 day ware" containing a virus or trojan of your choice. First,
prepare the virus or trojan by RESIZEing or REPLACEing it. Then just
execute "FAKEWARE (trojan/virus name)." In a minute or two FAKEWARE
will have generated a completely bogus game, right down to the .ZIP
comment.
FAKEWARE creates a fake title for your game, then creates between
five and twenty-five fake data files of random length and content (and
compressibility!). It includes your virus or trojan under as the main
.EXE, and even generates a fake .NFO file from either RAZOR, INC, or
TDT, complete with program description, cracking information, and
greets to all those cool pir8 doodz you know and love. FAKEWARE
executes PKZIP (which must be in the current directory or in your PATH
in order for FAKEWARE to work correctly), and adds a .ZIP comment, an
ad for a completely fake, yet very realistic, warez board. All
temporary file are deleted, of course. Now just upload the .ZIP as the
game that FAKEWARE tells you and you're all set; all you have to do now
is get the loser to run it...
FAKWARE will also generate a fake .EXE if no argument is given,
allowing you to send up tons of bogus wares to a stupid board to
discredit the sysop and create chaos. Unlike some other utilities, I
couldn't care less if you misuse it; I never did like warez boards
anyway...
FIXATTR
-------
This program lets you alter the attributes of files. Quite simple
and very legitimate. You can use either "+", "-", or "=", followed by
one or more of the following letters: A, H, R, and S. Using a plus sign
will add the specified attributes to the files' current attributes; a
minus sign will remove those attributes, if set; and the equals sign
Nowhere Utilities v2.0 - 4 - (C) 1992 Nowhere Man and [NuKE]
will set the files' attributes to the ones given, removing any existing
ones. The letters above stand for (A)rchive, (H)idden, (R)ead-only, and
(S)ystem, respectively. Attributes for subdirectories cannot be
modified, but wildcards and multiple file names may be given after the
attributes. This is essentially the same as the DOS 5.0 or 4DOS ATTRIB
command, but it is usable by anyone, even those without DOS 5.0 or
4DOS. Suggested uses: hiding and/or write-protecting sensitive files
(or unhiding those pesky hidden files that some games still use), or
whatever else you can think of that requires attribute changes. This
utility is pretty basic, so I'm sure you'll think of other applications
for it.
FIXTIME
-------
FIXTIME is a basic "touch" utility, similar to those found under
UNIX and those that come with compilers such as Turbo C and Microsoft C
(although FIXTIME is superior to most compiler "touch" programs, as it
lets you set the file time to anything; more on that later). FIXTIME
can either take zero, one, or two arguments, followed by one or more
file names (wildcards allowed). If no other arguments are given besides
the file name(s), FIXTIME will set the time stamp of any and all
matching files to the current system time and date (which may not be
correct, if you're one of those people too lazy to set your system
clock). If a time is given, it must precede the file name(s) and be in
the standard 24- hour format (hh:mm:ss). All applicable files will have
their times set to that time; if no date is give then the system date
will be used. If a date is specified, it must precede the file name(s)
and be in the American date format (MM-DD-YY or MM/DD/YY, where the
year is any year between 1980 and 1999). As usual, no other aspects of
the file (size, attributes, etc.) are changed.
Suggested uses: to alter the time on documents that are past due
:-), to fix the date/time stamp of files to which you have added a
virus (though good virii always preserve the file's date and time), or
to change the date for any other purpose you can come up with (to
prevent someone from telling when you've written something, to change
the file times of files you've edited/modified, etc.). None of these
ideas really needs much elaboration; just be sure that if you're going
to want to change a file back that you remember to write down the
original time and date first...
NOLZEXE
-------
Don't you just hate it how executable-file compressors always
leave an annoying signature to show they've been used? Until now the
only way to remove these signatures to prevent people from UNLZEXEing
or PKLITE -Xing your program was to go in by hand with DEBUG or any
other hex editor and rip them out. Well, I've come up with this
handy-dandy utility to automatically destroy these headers for you,
preventing SCAN from detecting your PKLITEd virii and stopping assholes
from trying to disassemble or reverse-engineer your code. When invoking
NOLZEXE, all you must provide as parameters are the names of files you
wish to protect. Wildcards are allowed, and if no extension is given
Nowhere Utilities v2.0 - 5 - (C) 1992 Nowhere Man and [NuKE]
then .EXE is assumed (though .COM files are supported, too). NOLZEXE
will then go through the files and completely cover all compressor
headers with random bytes; if a file is not compressed nothing will
happen to it. Versions 0.90 and 0.91 of LZEXE (the only versions
currently released) and all versions of PKLITE are supported. (If
anyone out there has found any other executable-file compressors that
they'd like to see supported in the next version, see below on where to
contact me.) The files will still execute properly and are otherwise
unchanged; however no virus scanner, CHK4LZE, or CHK4LITE program will
pick them out of the crowd. Suggested uses: as mentioned above, to
remove the headers on LZEXEd and PKLITEd virii to prevent scanning (my
ever-popular C-Virus used similar techniques), and to stop people from
disassembling or reverse-engineering your products (use the compressor
on them and then use NOLZEXE). This is also useful on trojans, as it
can stop CHK4BMB-type utilities from picking up your damaging code;
compress the trojan then NOLZEXE it. If your compressor refuses to work
on the file because it's too small (all to often the case with virii),
please read my notes about the subject under RESIZE below.
REPLACE
-------
Based upon an idea I had originally used in C-Virus, REPLACE
performs a great service to trojan- and virus-disseminators everywhere.
To put it bluntly, it just replaces one file (presumably a legitimate
one) with another (presumably a nasty one). On a more detailed level,
what REPLACE does is delete the original file, copy the new file to the
original's name, then reset the attributes, date, time, and size as
they were on the original file. Essentially, the new file has become
the old one. For example, you could "REPLACE LEMMINGS.EXE DIR-2.COM"
and then distribute "Lemmings" to all of the lame k-rad pir8 boards in
the area (good pirate boards wouldn't take such an old game to begin
with). As shown, .COMs may replace .EXEs, and vice-versa, with one
exception: and .EXE which REPLACEs a .COM must be smaller than 64k, or
else DOS will give an error when it is executed. Also note that
REPLACEing a file with a larger one will cause excess bytes in the new
file to be clipped (ie: if you replace a 1000 byte file with a 2000
byte one only the first 1000 bytes of the 2000 byte file will be
copied), so don't try it on executable files.
To run REPLACE, just provide two arguments, the first being the
name of the old file and the second the name of the new one, the file
to be replaced and the replacer, respectively. Wildcards are NOT
allowed. Also, remember the size warnings in the previous paragraphs to
avoid embarrassing mistakes (imagine how humiliating it would be to
upload a trojan to Ross Greenberg's shitty BBS and have it get an
error!). Have fun with this one.
RESIZE
------
RESIZE is a file resizer: it lets you alter the size of an
existing file, either making it larger or smaller. RESIZE may be
invoked in several different ways. If the first parameter is "-r" then
random byte filling is used (if the file size is being increased then
Nowhere Utilities v2.0 - 6 - (C) 1992 Nowhere Man and [NuKE]
the extra space is padded with random bytes); otherwise blanks are used
as padding. The other parameter, besides file name(s) is the size
variation. This may be either relative or absolute. To modify a file's
size absolutely, you just give a number; the file's size is then
changed to that number. If you want the size to be relative, then you
give the size of the change (in bytes), preceded by either a "+" (to
make the file bigger) or "-" (to decrease it by the same amount). The
remaining parameters are file names, wildcards allowed. Note that if
you elect to make a file smaller, then the excess data will be forever
lost, so don't go around trimming things without good cause thinking
that you'll be saving disk space or something idiotic like that. If you
do you'll deserve it.
You might wonder "Why the -r option?" Well, it's there because if
you try to PKZIP or otherwise compress a RESIZEd file that was
blank-padded, then it will compress down to its original size (less
whatever it would have gone down to had it not been RESIZEd). If you
saw a 1000000 byte file in an archive being compress to 2000 bytes, I
think you'd be just a bit suspicious (though I know at least one
(ex-)sysop who wasn't, hehehe). With the random bytes the compressor is
unable to pack that area much, keeping the illusion that the file is
larger than it really is. Also, in case you were wondering, RESIZEd
executable files will still run normally, RESIZEd .GIFs will still view
properly, and so on. Suggested uses for RESIZE: to increase the size of
virii and trojans and upload them to boards (renamed, or course); after
all, would you download a 500-byte program labeled "really awesome
virtual reality simulator?" You would if it were one megabyte, though.
As I stated before, DO NOT ABUSE THIS PROGRAM AND UPLOAD INFLATED FILES
TO GOOD BOARDS FOR CREDIT. If you want to do it to a lamer, go ahead,
but like I said before, if everyone RESIZEd their files then everyone
would be wasting time download tiny, useless, lame programs made out to
be cool by their large size. Don't be lame and abuse these utilities;
they were meant for causing mayhem, but don't inflict it on your
friends.
RESIZE has a few other uses. You can RESIZE (normally) a file
which PKLITE or LZEXE refuses to compress; it will end up no larger,
and this method sure beats the old UNDELETE procedure.
An interesting side note. My friend Leeking Virus has discovered
another use for this versatile utility. Here's a way he came up with
(and tested, I might add) for crashing boards. When you go to upload
(or even download, depending on the software), most BBSs will tell you
how much space is free on the hard disk. What you do is RESIZE a small
file to take up at least that much space and then upload it while no
one's around (naturally boards with two gigabyte hard disks are pretty
much immune to this, as your hard disk must be large enough to hold the
RESIZEd file). You must be sure to NOT use the -r option, and NOT to
PKZIP it. Unless you want to totally waste time, be sure to use JMODEM
or another protocol with data compression. The file will still take
what it originally would to download, but it will swell up on the
receiver's hard disk to fill it up. Hehehe. On Telegard boards it has
the added advantage of locking up the board; Telegard tries to log the
fact that the disk is full to an error file, but since there's no room,
it can't create the file, so it tries, to log that error, and so on,
trapping the board in an infinite loop. Other BBS software might do
this too, but so far Telegard is the only system that's been tested. At
Nowhere Utilities v2.0 - 7 - (C) 1992 Nowhere Man and [NuKE]
the very least there'll be no more uploads that day. Another
possibility is to RESIZE -r a file to the size of the target hard disk,
give it the read-only attribute, ZIP it up and give it to a board that
automatically PKUNZIPs files for scanning. Similar effects...
USER2TXT
--------
If you're into hacking boards, I'm sure you know the most prized
possession you can take is the user list. The information in that file
can get you accounts on many other boards all over the country (if the
people are stupid enough to use the same password on every board they
call, which many people are). But how do you take a user list, in
binary format, and turn it into a readable form? If you have Telegard
(or whatever other BBS it comes from) you could just copy it to your
GFILES directory, use the (U) option, and flip through the users one by
one, writing down the passwords and phone numbers. But what if you
don't have the time, or you don't have Telegard, or you'd like a nice
file for on-line reference from your comm program? USER2TXT fills that
gap.
To user USER2TXT, give it two parameters, the first being the name
of the Telegard v2.5/v2.7 or X-Ot-Icks v3.8 user list (almost always
USER.LST), and the second being the name of the output file. USER2TXT
will convert the binary data in the first file to readable ASCII. The
second file will contain each user's name, real name, password, and
phone number. The first user will always be the sysop. This program
really has only one use, which I've already described above. This is a
simple utility, but one that you'll find very useful.
WIPE
----
WIPE is a little utility I wrote to totally wipe a file off of a
disk. You run WIPE with one or more file names (wildcards allowed),
which are the files to wipe. The files are unrecoverable by normal
means (UNDELETE, QU, DISKEDIT, etc.), so be VERY careful with this; it
DOES NOT prompt you to verify your choice. This was done because I
figured if you were ever in the situation to need this program (a bust,
etc.) you would not want to be slowed down constantly hitting "Y." I'd
also advise renaming this program, as it's only a matter of time before
some lamer develops an ANSI bomb that runs it. Suggested uses for this
program: only one, really, and that's to destroy sensitive information
in case of a bust. If I were you, I'd write a batch file called
BUST.BAT, or something like that, that would automatically WIPE all of
the files you needed destroyed.
This program is much faster than Norton's DISKWIPE or WIPEFILE
because mine doesn't need to meet some silly military standard. I'm
sure if someone were REALLY REALLY desperate they could possibly get
your files back, but they'd need sophisticated equipment that no police
force would normally have. If you have the time (ie: you've been warned
the cops are coming for you) then I'd advise using WIPEDISK or another
military-standard wipe program, but WIPE is much faster in case you
don't have the time. Like I said, BE VERY CAREFUL WITH IT. Nowhere Man
and [NuKE] are NOT responsible if you fuck yourself over with this. It
is only meant for desperate situations.
Nowhere Utilities v2.0 - 8 - (C) 1992 Nowhere Man and [NuKE]
Revision Information
--------------------
Version 2.00 (September 5, 1992)
o DECRYPT, FAKEWARE and USER2TXT programs added.
o Removed a bug in RESIZE that would create huge files if
you attempted to make a file smaller than it's current
size (ie: RESIZE -10000 TEST.DAT where TEST.DAT is only
5000 bytes long). Thanks to Guido Sanchez.
o Major revisions to FIXTIME. The help message was revised
to correctly indicate that several filenames can be used
(v1.00's help message read "FIXTIME [hh:mm:ss [mm-dd-yy]]
filename," but there should have been ellipses after
"filename"). I've also changed FIXTIME so that it isn't
necessary to specify a time in order to change file
dates. Dates and times are also checked for invalid
settings (for example, the time "99:99:99").
o CRYPTCOM's decryption routine has been changed, slightly
increasing its size but making it faster and more
compatible with certain (picky) programs.
o NOLZEXE now recognizes files compressed with PKLITE
v1.1x.
o All programs that utilized random numbers have had their
random-number generation routines updated. This will not
effect the functioning of the programs.
o Documentation cleaned up. Many spelling/grammatical
errors were fixed, the layout was changed, and several
inaccuracies (including a reference to a non-existent
paragraph) were corrected.
Version 1.00 (January 25, 1992)
o Initial release.
Closing comments
----------------
As you can see, the Nowhere Utilities are very powerful, but
they also can be abused -- DON'T. I intended for the entire virus
community to benefit from these, not for some losers to abuse them.
Other than that little warning, I heartily encourage you to experiment
with the utilities, to use them in new and interesting ways (if you
find a novel use for a utility, let me know so I can mention it in the
next version). Enjoy them.
Nowhere Utilities v2.0 - 9 - (C) 1992 Nowhere Man and [NuKE]
As usual, greets go out to Rock Steady, Rigor Mortis, Leeking
Virus and Murdak, all [NuKE] and SCP members and sites, Phalcon/SKISM,
and all virus-writers everywhere. Thanks to anyone else who I forgot to
mention; your input into this project is still greatly appreciated,
even if I do forget a name here and there.
If anyone has any questions, comments, complaints, or
suggestions about this or any other fine product from Nowhere Man or
[NuKE], I can be reached at The Hell Pit and FreeMatrix, both official
U.S. distribution sites for [NuKE]. I also monitor most Chicago-area
networks, as well as NuKENet, Swashnet, CyberCrime International, P/S
Net, and FidoNet; responses to my products may be posted there also.
Once again, so long, and happy virusing.
-- Nowhere Man, [NuKE] '92
Nowhere Utilities v2.0 - 10 - (C) 1992 Nowhere Man and [NuKE]