A computer virus, almost identical to another recent outbreak
that plagued China's cyberspace for several months, has emerged to
haunt Chinese Internet users, according to an anti-virus software
company.
Experts with the Beijing-based Jiangmin New Tech Ltd said the
new virus, known as "shadow of panda", is "like a twin brother" to
the virus "panda burning joss sticks", one of the worst to ever hit
China.
The new virus, like its predecessor, infects program files and
steals the account names and passwords of online game players and
popular chat sites.
The notorious "panda burning joss stick" spread through the
Internet last December, and drew its name from the fact that it
substituted a picture of a panda holding three joss sticks for all
the icons of files that had been infected.
Millions of computers were infected nationwide before the
creator of that original virus was identified. After police
arrested 25-year-old Li Jun in Wuhan, he confessed to selling the
virus to 12 people for 100,000 yuan (US$12,887).
The police subsequently released some anti-virus software
written by Li?to fight against his own "panda" in
February.
The maker of the new "shadow of panda" has written a line in his
virus code saying, "I despise the commercialized anti-virus
companies. The panda is gone, so is creator Li Jun, but I will
carry on his unfinished task. I will devote myself selflessly to
improving the safety awareness of Chinese netizens."
The Jiangmin Company said anti-virus experts have found
solutions to deal with the new virus and asked netizens to download
upgraded anti-virus software as soon as possible.
(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2007)
