Director Ang Lee's spy thriller Lust, Caution has been
proved not only a box office hit, but a "hidden danger" which might
put computers at risk of online virus if someone tried to download
the movie via the Internet.
At least hundreds of websites, online forums and blogs are
themed "Lust, Caution". About 15 percent of them have been attacked
by hackers and carry virus, according to Saturday's the Beijing
Evening News.
If netizens download the film from those websites, forums and
blogs, their computers are very possible to be hit by virus and
their QQ password and other online codes might be stolen.
Internet security experts say there are two ways for hackers to
spread online virus linked with "Lust, Caution". They attack some
medium and small film download websites and put virus in the
websites directly. Or they use certain software to tie the film
with virus.
Many viruses can be spread via USB device and other
hardware.
Internet security experts warn that as an increasing number of
Chinese get accustomed to downloading films from the Internet, the
problem of hackers spreading virus is more thorny.
Set in World War-II era Shanghai, Lust, Caution, starring
Chinese mainland actress Tang Wei and Hong Kong actor Tony Leung
Chiu-wai, is about a sexually-charged relationship between an
undercover female student activist and a Japanese-allied
intelligence chief.
Lee's movie, called Se, Jie in Chinese, has been a hot
topic in the Chinese mainland media and among the public long
before its official screening here due to its bold sex scenes. The
movie has been given the restricted NC-17 label in the United
States, banning viewers under 17.
In order to get approval for the Chinese mainland release, Lee,
the Academy Award winning director of Brokeback Mountain,
cut about seven minutes from the film. Despite being shorn of some
sexual scenes, the film's Chinese mainland version still won
acclaim among most viewers.
(Xinhua News Agency November 18, 2007)