MEMZ
Computer trojan horse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
MEMZ /miːmz, mɛmz/ is a trojan horse created for Microsoft Windows.[1][2][3][4][5] The name of the malware refers to its purpose as a humorous Trojan intended to replicate the effects of early computer viruses.
| MEMZ | |
|---|---|
 A computer infected with the MEMZ Trojan. Depicted is one of the malware's key payloads, a "screen tunneling" effect. | |
| Malware details | |
| Type | Trojan horse |
| Author | Leurak |
| Technical details | |
| Platforms | Windows XP and later |
Origin
Payloads
The trojan gained notoriety for its unique and satirical payloads which automatically activate after each other, some with delay. Examples of payloads include displaying a Windows Notepad file that reads:
YOUR COMPUTER HAS BEEN FUCKED BY THE MEMZ TROJAN. Your computer won't boot up again, so use it as long as you can! :D Trying to kill MEMZ will cause your system to be destroyed instantly, so don't try it :D
Others include randomly moving the cursor slightly; opening up comedic Google searches under Google.co.ck, such as "how to remove a virus" and "how to get money" on the user's web browser; reversing text; and opening various random Microsoft Windows programs, such as the calculator or command prompt. True to the program's name, many parts of the trojan are based on Internet memes; for example, the trojan overwrites the master boot record with an animation of Nyan Cat.[1][2][3][4][5] Leurak also created a safer version of MEMZ called MEMZ-Clean. The clean version allows the non-destructive payloads to be safely tested and gives the user full control about which payloads are active.[6]