Microsoft Issues Warning about PowerPoint Virus

" title="Microsoft Issues Warning about PowerPoint Virus" />

The world’s leading software company, Microsoft, has warned users about a virus that sets up a ‘keystroke log” program when an e-mailed PowerPoint file is opened.

According to computer security experts, the rigged PowerPoint presentation is sent from a gmail address and includes 18 slides purporting to contain "humorous" images about love between men and women.

When the PowerPoint presentation is clicked, the keystroke logger is installed.

A ‘back door’ is opened, where the attacker can attain records and download illegal software, experts warned. Once a machine has been compromised the virus installs a blank version of the poisoned presentation to hide evidence that a computer has been taken over.

However, efforts to repair the backdoor vulnerability will take weeks and Microsoft has advised computer users not to open unexpected PowerPoint files.

So far relatively few people are thought to have been caught out by the booby-trapped presentation.

The virus is aimed at companies in Asia because Chinese characters are used in the subject line of the e-mail the booby-trapped files are attached to and in name of the poisoned PowerPoint presentation.

The bug is known as a "zero-day" attack because it was exploited so soon after being discovered.

Microsoft has warned users not to open or save PowerPoint files that turn up unexpectedly - even if they are from trusted sources.

PowerPoint has become widely used in businesses for presentations.

Microsoft also mentioned that it was on target to release a patch to protect against the exploit on 8 August.