Lust, virus: film fans in China hit with virus attack

Lust seems to be prevailing over caution for computer users in China who download
certain unauthorized copies of Ang Lee's latest film: some of them are receiving
dozens of viruses instead.

Because "Lust,
Caution" was released in China with about 30 minutes of footage censored
by the local film overseer -- almost all of it depicting graphic sex -- movie
audiences here are turning to unauthorized downloads of the film to see what
they missed.

However, hackers are replacing what appear to users to be copies of the film
with software that infects their computers, according to a warning
from antivirus software maker Beijing
Rising International Software Co. Ltd..

Rising's antivirus software first flagged the problem on Friday or Saturday,
said spokeswoman Li Ting. Rising estimates that about 15 percent of the copies
of "Lust, Caution" available online would supply frustration rather
than titillation, causing a blue screen to appear on the user's computer and
possibly stealing passwords for Web sites and instant messaging programs.

Rising has designated the "Lust" virus as Trojan.Win32.Mnless.zgw.
This type of attack is on the rise against users downloading entertainment content,
including movies, music, and photos of film and pop stars, the company said.
Rising offers a fix via its Chinese Web
site.

Some users are downloading "dozens" of viruses, according to Gao
Yiwei, a product manager with Kaspersky Lab in China. Not all users are getting
the same thing: some receive only Trojan horse software, while others receive
both the film and various viruses. Kaspersky's software now protects against
the viruses, Gao said, but he wouldn't confirm when they first appeared or when
the software update occurred.

A representative for another antivirus software company, Trend Micro, said
she would pass the information on to technical support and would "fix this
problem soon in China."

Unauthorized downloading of films is common in China, part of a large piracy
problem that affects both the entertainment and software industries. Organizations
like the Business Software Alliance (BSA) regularly point out that pirated software
can contain viruses or be more vulnerable to attacks. The Motion Picture Association
-- Hollywood's overseas lobbying body -- estimates that illegal reproduction
and unauthorized downloads of films caused the film industry to miss out on
US$2.7 billion in potential revenue in China in 2005.

IDG News Service

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