Virus alert: Acrobat virus makes life less than Peachy

The popular PDF file format developed by Adobe could become a carrier for viruses - just like .exe and .vbs files.

The file format was previously thought invulnerable to viruses, but Network Associates' McAfee antivirus division has identified some malicious code, known as Peachy, which can be hidden in PDF files.

US reports say that the virus poses no danger to users who simply view a PDF file. It's only those using Adobe's Acrobat software to create documents who are open to attack.

Peachy exploits code in Acrobat which is used to create attachments. This code is not present in the Reader version of the software and so is a relatively benign virus.

However, it does diminish the PDF format's reputation as a safe way of distributing documents via email and should Adobe choose to alter Reader so that attachments can be opened through it, then users could well become vulnerable to attack.

Once in the system, Peachy spreads itself by exploiting the email address book in Microsoft Outlook.

Updated virus descriptions able to detect Peachy will be released by McAfee next week.

However, users with the full version of Acrobat will need to exercise caution when opening PDF files with attachments.