Macromedia virus found, threat low

SAN FRANCISCO: Computer security experts on Tuesday said they had found the

first virus designed to attack Macromedia Inc. Flash animation files, which are

predominating used in Internet advertising and on glitzy Web sites.

The virus, dubbed SWF/LFM.926, is low risk because it must be downloaded

manually and cannot spread itself to other computers over e-mail or through Web

browsers like many other viruses can, experts said.

However, people who browse an affected Web site or use e-mail could still

become infected if they download and open an infected Flash file on their

computer outside of the browser, Macromedia said. A spokeswoman at San

Francisco-based Macromedia said the company would release a patch for the virus

within the next few days.

A sample of the virus was sent to antivirus vendor Sophos Inc. from a Hotmail

e-mail account and is not spreading "in the wild," said Craig Schmugar,

virus research engineer at Network Associates Inc. The virus affects Windows NT-

and XP-based computers, but only those storing Flash files, which can be movies,

games and other animations, according to Schmugar.

"Most people aren't going to have any Shockwave Flash files on their

computer," he said, using an old name for the Flash file format. "It's

very unlikely the virus will spread very far." When executed, the virus

displays a message saying "Loading Flash Movie" and shows a number

puzzle that people might try to solve, Schmugar said.

The virus also creates a program that infects other Flash files on the same

system, he said. Macromedia will release information on the virus and patch at http://www.macromedia.com/support

.

(C) Reuters Limited.