Trend Micro Warns Over New Shockwave Virus

Trend Micro has warned its anti-virus
software users about a new and highly virulent virus that arrives
disguised as a Shockwave Flash movie.

Known as TROJ_SHOCKWAVE.A, the virus has been reported in the wild in
the US and the Far East, and is known to be spreading via e-mail.

Actually a Trojan horse worm, the virus drops a copy of itself into
the Windows Startup folder, meaning it is executed every time Windows
is started on the host machine.

Upon execution, the Trojan renames all JPG and ZIP files and moves
them to the user's "C:" root directory.

Trend said that it has developed an update for its anti-virus
software, update number 811, which can be downloaded via its Web
site. In the meantime, the IT security firm advises all e-mail users
to exercise caution and not open any unsolicited attachments.

Also known as TROJ_MYPICS by some anti-virus firms, the Trojan is
known to arrive with a message reading "SUBJECT:A great Shockwave
flash movie," and containing an attachment with a filename of
"CREATIVE.EXE."

The file size, Trend said, is 36,864 bytes. Later today, the company
plans on updating HouseCall, its free online virus scanner, to spot
the Trojan horse.

Trend's Web site is at http://www.antivirus.com.