Interview with Prizzy
by Matrix zine
[April 2000]

Tell me a little about yourself as a person, hobbies-music etc?

Well, I'm prizzy, the member of 29A group, a czech 17 years old who is trying to code the viruses say one year (half-year at win32 platform). I'm finding out many vx coders are becoming more and more jagged, smoked and gotten dring but I hope I'm not as they are (hm, maybe on the next vx meeting... :).

Where you get your handle?

Yes, I've got some question as is this. A year ago when I was writing some cracking tutorials I needed a nick for me. My nick doesn't have any meaning - but I like it, it sounds good, yeah good.

Do your family/friends know about your virus activities?What do they think about it? Do you care of their opinion?

Oh, man. No one from my friends and my parents don't know about I write viruses. Even though I told them what I do they couldn't understand why do I code them. Although if you'll tell them you're coding programs or viruses, they'd thought themselves you're a gamer maniac, anyway. Thus, I like it no one doesn't know what I do there.

How did you start out in computers?

My the very first computer was SHARP MZ-800 (which it is even somewhere at home), at that time I was playing games for the most part but also I was learning     something in basic. Perhaps seven years ago I've got "normal" computer at last and now my actual situation is P233,32Mb,16G HDD

What was your first virus?

At the beginning (in 1996 I guess) I was trying to code some viruses at DOS platform. I didn't have any information what do for infection, I didn't know how to become resident and so on. It was hard time also I didn't have inet - so that no information. After two months I've bought the book about viruses (many vx technics like tunneling, memory resident, debugging etc - and many sources were inside, including OneHalf's poly algorithm). This was my break (and Benny's as well, he is also a czech guy) but  after some months I left the writing of viruses and I started to code in high language (msvc++, bc++).

Two months before holiday I decided I'll try to read something about windows viruses (i got www address on 29A by darkman), I downloaded all its zines and read and read. I remember the start was hard because I didn't know anything about win32 (what's different between asm16 and win32, why do I need kernel32 address, etc). After two months I've finished my the very first virus at Win95/98 platform: "Win95.Prizzy" (it is IDT, exe/rar/ace (sfx), the first mmx&copro poly engine which supports 238 type of poly-instructions). And it was my enter to the vx world.

How did you start out in the virus scene?

Once I found www address of the VLAD magazine and I wrote to darkman if he doesn't know any similar (active) zines. Then I got 29A zines, read their articles, tutes etc. After win95.prizzy finishing I was accepted to 29A group. A month later I appeared myself on #virus.

Which programming languages do you use?

My favorite language is C/C++. I code in MSVC++ and in C++ Builder. Then I know ASM for PC, I51, HC11 and Z80, and very well Pascal (Delphi). I also try to start with ASP, PHP and Perl for www programming.

Where do you live and how is the situation of the virus scene in your land?

I live in the Czech Republic. Here isn't any virus scene, I know here only some coderz. Among vxers come under Benny/29A, mort/MATRiX and one man who is much interested in Win32 is ELiCZ (http://elicz.cjb.net). And the best antivirus company here is Grisoft (http://www.grisoft.com).

How many and which viriis did you write? Which do u like best? why?

I wrote two viruses so far (Win95.Prizzy and the second Win32.Crypto). The second one is very huge but it has a lot of good ideas (rdea algorithm, multi-layer poly, anti-* etc). You can find its description by Virus Bulletin on my page. I don't want to write these big viruses but those which have good ideas, new features. I love my own viruses and my own coding style.

How do you name your viriis?

It's hard to say. When I code the virus, I don't know its name but during that time I think it up. I think my name of virus must be short and sound good. I don't have here any boundary.

How do you spread your viriis?

I don't spread my viruses - it isn't my style but no one said he can compile my or other source and spread it himself. I also allow to download my virus bins from homepage. Anyone can do that instead me.

Do you prefer a specific type of viriis? Which virus(es) do you like best?

I prefer only Win32 viruses and I like these viruses: "Win9x.Inca", "Win32.Cabanas", "z0mbie-II" (idt), "Win32.Heretic", "Win32.Maya", "Win95.Babylonia" and many many more.

What E-zine you most of all like?

I think good ezine is ljulus' vxtasy because you can find there all about win32 world, yeah all. Then I like slam zines, asterix zines, and of course 29a zines.

Which AV product do you like best and why? Which do you piss off most?

I like AVP and NODICE antivirus.

What viruswriters you most of all respect?

It's everyone who is in win32 world or who has perfect ideas. I like work of griyo, ljulus, asmod, vecna, flush, darkman and many many others. I also don't despise the beginning vx coders.

What do you think about virii genenerators?

Heh, I don't like them because they're for non-vx people who will think themselves they just has finished virus. It don't have future, i guess, because it can generate only some mutation of the virus - not next different viruses utterly.

What do you think about macro viruses?

Many vx coders say the macro writers aren't real coders because they know only macros and it isn't true coding. I don't think that myself. Yes, macros are here, we like their simplicity and their vba m$ platform. I like them and I'd like to code easy macro virus later.

What do you think about poly engines? Which do you like best?

I like how poly engine can generate so many shapes of the virus body. I love their ideas, their complexity etc. I coded some poly engines (for coprocessor and mmx) but I'm founding out it must have own and easy idea. It doesn't need have a strong poly engine, all garbages you can code - but try to use easy but efficient idea to disable w32 av scanners. This chapter is open for me, I try to find new and new conveniences all the time. I would also admit I don't have so good ideas how I thought. So far all my poly engines was too complex and just I would like to change them to better - this is me dream I can realize.

What do you think about destructive viruses?

As I said in my last cz-interview, a few vx coders have coded the first viruses with their destructive payloads and I think that tradition is still among us. I don't code any destructive viruses because I don't comprehend their meaning. Let's have no illusions we, true vxers, can't change it; but if you can take this question from the second side you'll find out every virus is destructive - we are evil :).

What are generally your goals in the virus writing context?

Code my first macro virus and i-worm.

When, why and how have you joined 29A?

When I was finishing my "Win9x.Prizzy" virus I contacted darkman if I could publish its source in next 29A issue #4. After some weeks I've sent him that source and he said I might be in 29A team after voting. Then in August 99 I've joined 29A. And why? I only knew their zines till then and by their articles and their discoveries I found out it has to be excelent group and that opinion I have still.

What do you think about the current VX scene worldwide?

I think this time is very good, there are many excelent coders at scene. I like how every coder tries to use new discovered features in his viruses. We know a lot of things about win32 world but I still hope we'll discover something good backdoors in next months.

Do you do other computer stuff outside VX (hacking, phreaking, warez etc.)?

I have only experience with cracking. No extra, I wrote only some tutorials.

How would you consider the perfect virus?

It should be polymorphic, resident, stealth, full of anti-*, use internet to spread itself, dropper for macroz, archivez - and have own AI to remove its previous mistakes.

Your plans in the future as coder and in general?

I have no plans. I only wanna do good viruses.

Where can you be reached ?

Use my email prizzy@coderz.net or sometimes undernet #virus channel.

Any greetz?

For all vx coders and for all avers, of course.