Taming of 'Serivces' Virus

The other day, my Windows 2000 PC showed signs of virus infection. Speed was not affected, but continuous network activity indicated something was amiss. When connected to Internet over a slow GSM wireless modem, it was difficult to access sites, as the machine was sending out data to unknown locations. Due to this high volume outward packets, browsing speed slowed down effectively to a blank. A virus scan was immediately initiated with the installed software from McAfee VirusScan Enterprise 8.0, but it failed even to recognize the malware quietly running in system memory even though the scan took most part of a half-day. When TaskManager was run, the culprit was quickly identified – with a name of serivces.exe, it was evidently misspelled to disguise it as the legitimate services.exe, an integral module of Windows. It didn’t allow the process to be stopped from Task Manager and there was no reference to it in the RUN sections of Windows Registry. A quick search on the Net from another PC failed to obtain any encouraging result. Some sites offered a software patch which would eliminate the threat, but they were not convincingly benign. A complete formatting of the hard disk loomed on the horizon.

At this point, I checked the running services on the machine using services.msc component. By checking each service which has started, the miscreant was identified in the Plug and Play Manager, right below the legitimate service Plug and Play. The Plug and Play Manager refused to be stopped or disabled, reaching a dead-end. There was no way to delete the exe file from system32 folder while it was residing in memory. It was then that I thought to experiment with the system running in Safe mode. The machine was restarted in safe mode with command prompt. It took a while for it to bring the command prompt, during which it seemed to have hung. After a nail biting wait, the familiar good old DOS prompt came to my great relief.

A directory listing of the system32 folder showed up the suspect, serivces.exe, which was renamed to old_serivces.exe. The meekness with which it allowed itself to be rechristened in safe mode gave me an exultation of joy! Services.msc was run again and this time, the service allowed disabling as it had not yet started. The machine was restarted in the usual mode and presto!, the virus is removed from the system, without running any custom software.

Use the following steps to combat this threat. You don't need to install any software.

To identify

1. Press Ctrl-Alt-Del to bring up Task manager. Go to Processes tab and see whether serivces.exe is present in the list.

To innoculate

1. Restart the machine and press F8 while the it is rebooting. A menu will appear asking the user to select the startup option. Choose 'Safe mode with command prompt'.

2. After the command prompt is displayed (which may take several minutes), go to system32 folder with the command 'cd c:\winnt\system32' or 'c:\windows\system32' depending on the location of the system folder. Press Enter at the end of each command.

3. Type 'dir seriv*.exe'. followed by 'Enter' to see the file listed. Rename it with the command 'ren serivces.exe old_serivces.exe' followed by  'Enter' .

4. Type 'services.msc' at the prompt followed by 'Enter'. The list of services will be displayed. Locate Plug and Play Manager service, right click on it, and select Properties from the menu. In the 'General' tab, select the Startup type as Disabled. Click OK and restart the machine normally. The virus would not be there in the system now.

Will Egypt Go Iran’s Way?

Hosni Mubarak - Finally climbed down

The power of the people has asserted itself again. After 18 days of mass protests which virtually stalled every activity in the cradle of civilization, Egyptians rejoice at the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, the soldier-turned-politician who ruled the country for 30 years in his iron grip. Mubarak tried everything in his arsenal except brute military force to disperse the protests which raged against him, like rejecting the plan to make his son follow him as president, ousting the cabinet and senior colleagues of his National Democratic Party and even promising not to run again in the elections due to be held in September this year. Nothing availed against the exasperated people who were fed up with this man and his dictatorial way of functioning.

Muhammad Hosni Sayyid Mubarak served in the Egyptian Airforce in the Yom Kippur War against Israel and was made vice-president in 1975. After Anwar El-Sadat was assassinated in 1981, he took over as President and is the second longest served ruler in its history, after Muhammad Ali Pasha al-Masud ibn Agha, who ruled for 43 years (1805 – 1848). Though a totalitarianist, he maintained well kept up relationships with western powers and was enough of a pragmatist to deal with Israel to ensure peace in Palestine. The opposition forces in Egypt resorted to violent measures to get rid of him as evidenced by the six assassination attempts on him, which were thwarted. Ayman al-Zawahiri, the second in command of Al Qaeda was expelled from Egypt by Mubarak. He was the head of the Non-Aligned Movement at the time of stepping down. India always had warm relations with him and was the recipient of Jawaharlal Nehru Award in 1995, which is given out for promoting international understanding, goodwill and friendship among people of the world.

It all began with the Tunisian uprising against Ben Ali, in December 2010 that forced the dictator to flee the country with riches he accumulated over decades. The Egyptian people took the cue from their Tunisian neighbours to bring about the impossible, even though it took longer. At times, it felt like the revolution would fizzle out by the adamant, uncompromising stance of the all-powerful military. Even now, the transition to democracy is not complete, with no immediate hopes for a free and fair election. What Mubarak has done is simply to hand over power back to the Higher Council of the Armed Forces. Even then, it is to be seen as a strategic victory for the long suffering masses of Egypt. Another important ramification of the revolt is the shockwave it has sent across the middle east and even as far as China. All the Arab states are anticipating some kind of trouble and fear that their hold on the people may loosen as a result. Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa has ordered $3000 to be paid to each family in the kingdom as a pretext to mark the 10th anniversary of a national charter for reforms! This is a new concept, that of bribing the entire people to keep quiet.

Another concern for people who want to see long lasting peace in the middle-east would be the infiltration of extremist elements among the protesters. When the demonstrations began, it were spontaneous outpourings from youths who would no longer acquiesce in to the deprivation of their basic rights and who were encouraged by their fellows in Tunisia. Later, however, elements of Islamic Brotherhood, the leading opposition party with militant sentiments joined the mainstream and is feared to hijack the democratic process. The parallel with Iran of 1979 becomes more and more clear. Just before the Islamic revolution occurred in Iran, the people were desperate to oust the Shah, who had lost all touch with his subjects and was merely propped up with western support, particularly from the United States. The determined efforts of the people were channeled by Ayatollah Khomaini, who succeeded in bringing together all the opposition groups in Iran, including its communists under his banner which eventually crushed the establishment and brought about change. Once power was handed over, the real colours of the Islamists were evident. Khomaini eliminated all opposition and founded the present Islamic state of Iran with open support to terrorism and which threatens world peace by eagerly trying to make nuclear weapons.

The experience of Iran should be a lesson to Egypt’s democratic partners. If they allow elements controlled by Hezbollah and Iran to operate unhindered in the midst of the ongoing upheaval, they would have to face a rejuvenated force later which it might be impossible to supplant. Once Islamic extremists are allowed to rule the country, they’d soon infiltrate the military and take Egyptian society back to medieval era by enforcing archaic practises.

The world is keenly watching the goings-on in Egypt. The situation is still very fluid.

Europe bans Ayurveda

Homoeopathic doctors in Kerala have protested against the denial of pay parity in the Sixth Pay Commission report with doctors practising other systems of medicine. The Indian Homoeopathic Medical Association also alleged that the disparities in salary was not in tune with the central government’s health policy which aimed at bringing all medical systems into national mainstream (As reported by The Hindu, dt. Jan 13, 2011). Ayurvedic practitioners have also demanded that they be given the enhanced pay package released to doctors of modern medicine. The minister who presided over the function, quite understandably toed the politically correct line of endorsing the claim. We should be struck with horror at the audacity of these practitioners with little or no testing of their products claiming parity with modern medicine!

Any drug which is going to be marketed in the European Union or the U.S.A., has to undergo extensive studies related to the results of physico-chemical, biological or microbiological tests as well as pharmacological and toxicological tests and clinical trials carried out on the product. Is there any ayurvedic medicine in the present market which can pass any of these tests? A whole slew of new products are launched every month with outlandish claims, but not subjected to any quality check or trials. These medicines are first advertised in news papers and television with bold claims which defy common sense. Almost all of them assert that these products are safe from side-effects, being 100% ayurvedic! The funniest part is that the promoters are simply ignorant of the chemical compositions of their products and have not even the faintest idea of how the remedial mechanism works. A good many among the products are aphrodisiacs or cosmetic in nature, with the distinguishing feature of exorbitant price demanded for them. People who grudge at the cost of allopathic medicines surprisingly don’t feel offended at buying this snake oil bottle. A new product from modern medicine is the culmination of painstaking research, and equally painstaking trials, while the other one are simply ‘marketed’ once it is formulated, yet the demanded price is comparable or even more. There are allegations of clandestine mixing of modern drugs in the herbal formulations for ensuring effectiveness. A prominent new generation ayurvedic aphrodisiac is accused to contain Tadalafil which is a very sensitive and dangerous medicine to be used only under strict medical prescription. The company, instead of proving their innocuousness went on a PR blitzkrieg thus silencing the opponents. We all know that alcohol consumption is harmful to health and warn people to desist from the practice. But, Kamilari, another new ayurvedic brand is exhorting its customers to continue drinking, while the harmful effects would be taken care of by the product! It is difficult to understand how a civilized society can allow such an advertising line which runs contrary to medical ethics as well as public morality.

Many ayurvedic concoctions contain powdered heavy metals which are highly poisonous, like lead, chromium and mercury. The level of these malefic substances in the end product confirms the suspicion that they are ingredients, rather than unintentional contaminants. EU directive 2004/24/EC defines a herbal medicinal product as “Any medicinal product, exclusively containing as active ingredients one or more herbal substances or one or more herbal preparations, or one or more such herbal substances in combination with one or more such herbal preparations” (italics my own). Note the word ‘exclusively’. How many ayurvedic medicines can claim that they are prepared exclusively from herbal ingredients? If such rigorous clinical trials are extended to them, most of them would have to be banned in India. Lead or mercury poisoning can lead to mental retardation, coma and damage to internal organs from which there is no cure. In children, lead causes reduced IQ and attention span, hyperactivity, impaired growth, reading and learning disabilities, hearing loss and a bunch of other problems.

It is in this context that we came to know of the European Union’s decision to ban ayurvedic products from May 1, 2011 onwards due to the adverse effects of such medicines. Ayurvedic and other herbal medicines will need to be licensed to comply with the EU directive on Traditional Herbal Medicinal Products Directive, 2004/24/EC, which takes effect from May 1 this year. Several studies had appeared in leading medical journals indicating a dangerously high level of harmful substances. In a study conducted under the aegis of National Institutes of Health in U.S. in 2008 came out with scary results. Out of 193 ayurvedic products tested, 20.7% came out with threateningly high levels of heavy metals, which reached as high as 20,800 ppm for mercury and 11.5 ppm for lead. The ban is nothing new for Ayurveda as Canada banned it in 2005. New York city banned three products, Jambrulin, Lakshmivilas Ras and Maha Sudarshan Choorna in 2005 as a study by the city department of health and mental hygiene detected 24,300 ppm and 2,190 ppm of lead in the first and third and 14,100 ppm of mercury in the second medicine.

The reactions to the ban were on predictable lines. Everyone saw the hand of pharma majors behind the bans, while keeping mum on the study reports. If these products are safe, why don’t they be subjected to rigorous testing before they leave the factory? Why don’t they submit it for tests to detect presence of heavy metals? Unfortunately, the answer is too obvious. The Indian ayurvedic industry is now a lucrative business unfamiliar with those restrictions faced by the allopathic pharma. You can freely churn out anything under the label of Ayurveda. Nobody asks them that a formulation was in use for 3000 years is no guarantee that it is safe. Oil was in use for lighting for thousands of years, but when electricity came, it had to give way. I don’t think anybody mourns the replacement of oil lamps today. Similarly, ayurvedic medicines have had to give way for modern medicine, but some vested interests who are sweeping huge profits and made cartels are resisting the change, in effect gambling with the health of India’s future generation and condemning the unsuspecting public to fall prey to their lust for money.

It is high time that India should take notice of the developments in Europe and America. If only for the foreign money it collects, ban on the sale of Ayurvedic products demands attention of the concerned people. If the claims made by the Europeans are true, these medicines should be banned in India too. It is high time that an authority may be set up which is assigned the task of testing each ayurvedic product before it hits the market. It should be enforced that only those products which clears the procedures would be allowed to be marketed. The unfortunate condition where there is no scrutiny for ayurveda must not be allowed to continue. Any one who have purchased ayurvedic medicines might have felt the astronomical price tag intimidating. Where does all this money go? There is practically no research, no trials and no feedback mechanism in place and your money goes to the profit columns of the companies. So, these corporations should be obligated to accept brakes in rampant media advertising and be more responsible to the society. The sooner we do it, the better.