Title   : Explanation of the SAVE with replace bug
  Keywords: SAVE REPLACE BUG EXPLAINED

  OK This is the original 2 part message explaining SAVE@ EXPOSED & the theory
  of operation. A few changes needed to run it for you will be
  ****CHANGES**** LINE 140 Change I to YOUR # of programs LINE 150 CHANGE the
  RND(0)*5 to * what I = LINE 180 CHANGE J & LINE 240 CHANGE the DATA
  STATEMENTS to YOUR PROG NAMES!
          ****SEE 4 YOURSELF ONCE & FOR ALL****READ THE TRANSACTOR!!!!BEST CBM
  MAG AROUND!!!99% AD FREE!!!

O.K.! Has everyone read the
Transactor-July 1985 Vol 6 Iss 5.Well
as EVERYONE knows SEVERAL people of
prominent stature have been BRAZENLY
stating that the SAVE@ Bug was merely
in the minds of some paranoid hackers.
Several egged on by the lack of
forthcomming evidence have begun
offering PRIZES to ANYONE who can
validate & DOCUMENT that the SAVE@ Bug
is infact a REALITY! The challenge by
The Transactor,the acceptance by
Charlie Whittern & the subsequent
publishing of the proof & the winning
of the prize is what will be BRIEFLY
stated here. The program to demonstrate
the BUG will be uploaded this weekend.
In order to meet the objections of the
experts BEFORE using Save@ one MUST be
sure that there is space on the disk
for the program to be saved,that NO
improperly closed files have been
scratched,& that the drive # has been
specified as in Save"@0:Prg Name",8:The
ORIGINAL test disks all had over 300
blocks free.No Improperly closed files
had been scratched & the correct syntax
was used.SAVE@ EXPOSED selects radomly
from 5 of the prgs whose names have
been placed in its data statements.Then
using Dynamic Keyboard Techniques it
loads the selected prg & Immed. saves
it w/Replace.Another prg is then loaded
& Saved w/Replace.The cycle continues
until stopped by the operator.Sometimes
a faulty replace occurs in just 1
cycle.Often it takes longer. The
Load/Save is shown on the screen as the
prg runs.On paper make tally marks by
Ea.Name as it comes by the screen.When
each name has come by 5X stop & examine
the Dir. USUALLY 2 or 3 of the prgs
will have been improperly replaced &
1or2 will have been lost!....In order
to check the results of the program
thae transactor started w/10 files
labeled Prg #1- Prg #10.Initially EACH
had a file size of 11 blks.& each
written to be EASILY identified.SAVE@
EXPOSED was then modified to to include
10 filenames & saved to disk.It was
then fired up & run for approx 10
mins.Basic Aid was then loaded & each
file was FLISTed(LISTed direct from
disk to screen.Prg 2 was posing as Prg
4.Prg 4 was OK but 2 was gone! Not bad
but not good!So then they got MEAN!Some
files were increased & Saved@

(UA RE T): ** (Part
 2 of the SAVE@ EXPOSED MESSAGE)
 **  PROGRAM will be in the Disk
Database** back to insure a good
assortment of block counts showinin the
dir. & the sector distribution good &
mixed. After 30 min. the results were
tabulated. YECHH! Of the 10 files 5
were corrupted badly. Prg#1 became
prg#4 2 became 7. 4 became 5. 7 became
9. And 9 became 1. Of these, only prg#4
had its directorary links mixed up with
another, prg#5. The others, though
still posing under the same file, where
true clones.'IT SEEMS WE HAVE A PROBLEM
'. At this time, one bottle of
champagne should be winging its way to
a certain mailbox in Hudson,Mich. Our
criteria was simply to prove a problem
exists & tha t has obviously been
shown!!!!!Although the problem is
demonstrated here quite clearly the
events leading up to its often
unexpeded occurance in day to day
activity is STILL a mystery. & Why does
SAVE W/Replace SEEM to work on MOST
occasions. A look through DOS ROM has
shown that save w/replace is merely
performing a Scratch after a Save
followed by some very simple dir.
updates. N E V E R T H E L E S S !The
is NO LONGER ANY DOUBT about the
POTENTIAL DANGER which means there MUST
be SOMETHING going UNNOTICED!
PERHAPS!?! those others who so
Adamantly claim the bug is a myth might
care to join in our search for the next
LOGICAL question:W H Y??(& that
INCLUDES YOU COMMODORE!) Transactor
Articles & programs may be used &
distributed as P.D. as long as Proper
credit is given! Dallas Winston

(UA RE T)