Notification of the limited distribution of a self-copying program

HTTP://WWW.0100101110101101.ORG + [epidemiC] http://www.epidemic.ws, 
intend to release an self-copying program, or computer virus, for the occasion of their 
participation in the forty ninth edition of the Venice Biannual, conceived and developed 
by them. It is called "biennale.py".
This document is intended to furnish the just precautionary measures with which the 
aforementioned program should be handled.
Furthermore it is our intention to underline the technology which permits itself to 
automatically reproduce, copying itself in various files which could be stored in your 
computer.



 Operative environments at risk

Computers which have a working version of Python installed and therefore are able to 
correctly execute programs complied with the Python language sintax, must be 
considered to be under risk and should absolutely avoid the execution of any Python 
application containing a copy of "biennale.py". 



 Operative environments not at risk

Computers that do not have a working version of the Python are not at risk and can 
manipulate "biennale.py" at will. 



 Technology 

The self-copying program "biennale.py" is based on the services offered by the Python 
execution environment. This environment is able to read the contents of files edited with 
a particular sintax (Python) and follow the instructions contained therein. This operation 
is called the execution of the Python program.
The "biennale.py" program is to be considered active only when executed, in this case 
the following operations will appear.

-- Scanning of the list of all the files contained in the local disk with the exception of 
   those contained in the "/dev" and "/proc" folders
-- Selection of the files with the prefix ".py" e ".pyw" from the obtained list 
-- The modifications of the files in the selection with the addition at the head of the 
   instruction sequence of "biennale.py". 



 Removal 

In case some files in your possession have been modified by the execution of the 
"biennale.py" program you must follows these steps.

-- Obtain a list of the modifies files 
-- Using a text editor cancel all the lines between, and including, the line 
   "# biennale.py ___ go to ___ 49th Biennale di Venezia" and the line "###"

These simple instructions are sufficient to remove the modifications.



 Damage

"biennale.py" has been designed to avoid in any manner damage to the contents of your 
computer. The individuation and the removal of the modification that it could bring, 
exclusively to python files, are extremely facilitated.
For no reason shall the authors consider themselves responsible for the execution of the 
sequence of instructions belonging to "biennale.py" which has been conceived expressly 
for the Venice Biannual and nevertheless to be destroyed immediately.



 Antivirus 

A copy of "epidemic.py" and this document will be sent to the most well known 
societies who produce AntiVirus.



 Authors

[epidemiC] http://www.epidemic.ws
email biennale.py@epidemic.ws

HTTP://WWW.0100101110101101.ORG
email biennale.py@0100101110101101.ORG



 Target

49° Biennale di Venezia
slovenian pavillion
opening: 8 jun 2001 / h. 19
galleria A+A, San Marco 3073, Venezia