Researchers discover first AutoCAD virus

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By The Associated Press
Special to CNET News.com
July 20, 2000, 4:40 p.m. PT

WASHINGTON--Researchers at a Russian antivirus company announced today
that they have discovered what they say is the first computer virus
that infects AutoCAD, a popular architecture and design tool.

AutoCAD, made by San Rafael, Calif.-based Autodesk, is the most
popular professional design program in the world, used by architects
and engineers to draft buildings, roads, landscapes or furniture.

Kaspersky Lab calls the virus, named ACAD.Star, an "extremely
primitive" and tiny macro virus, just over 500 bytes in size. A macro
is a set of commands used to automate or speed up repetitive
processes. There are many macro viruses, frequently found in
Microsoft's Word or Excel office software.

Autodesk recently licensed Microsoft's macro programming language,
Visual Basic, for the company's AutoCAD product. Visual Basic is a
popular language for virus-writers. ACAD.Star and the recent "Love
Bug" and "Stages" viruses were written in this language.

Autodesk representatives had not yet heard of the virus and did not
immediately comment.

Researchers classified this virus as a "first try" and said it is
sloppy and contains many errors that could keep it from proliferating.
Kaspersky Lab has received no damage reports, and said it has only
been found once, on a virus development Web site July 18.

The lab said only users of AutoCAD 2000, the most recent version, are
affected.

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