Potential for Acrobat virus makes life less than Peachy for PDF files
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.
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...
