Websites warned over first hypertext virus

A potential threat to ecommerce sites has been identified with the discovery of the first virus using the hypertext preprocessor (PHP) scripting language.

PHP is one of the most popular scripting languages and is used to develop ecommerce sites and those with heavy content.

Although the virus, which was discovered by antivirus software and computer services company Central Command, does not carry any immediate risks, the company warned that future versions could have more damaging consequences.

Steven Sundermeier, product manager at Central Command, said: "PHP.NewWorld is what we consider a proof-of-concept virus. In fact, the only way your server gets infected is if you manually insert the script into your site or access it through the web server."

Although the virus is spread by executing an infected script, Sundermeier does not believe that the spreading method allows the virus to leave the infected machine. But he warned that in future, the PHP script could be altered to trigger a more dangerous virus.

The majority of websites that integrate user interaction and personalisation rely on PHP, making them an appealing target for virus writers. "Because the PHP language is absolutely free, we are anticipating that copycats of this PHP script virus will become prominent and will have much more damaging consequences in the near future," said Sundermeier.

He added that while other antivirus providers require users to download a large upgrade file or patch when a malicious new virus emerges, the company's AntiVirus eXpert software has been updated to spot and deal effectively with the new bug.

Security policy management, real-time management of antivirus software and support for TCP/IP and HTTP communications, JavaScript and ActiveX technologies are also included.