Computer systems throughout the world and in Vietnam may be infected with a virus through a “hole” in the Shortcut file of Windows. This error was announced on July 10 and it has not been mended yet.

Once computer users open USB sticks with the Shortcut file, the virus will automatically enter their computers even when the autorun function is locked. Hackers can control the whole computer, steal personal information or destroy data.

While Microsoft has not mended this error, Vietnam’s BKAV Network Security Centre has discovered three types of viruses that can attack computers through this error.

So far, a reported 27,500 computers in Vietnam have been infected with the virus.

“Up to 97.4 percent of computers in Vietnam use Windows operating systems, including Windows XP, Vista, Windows 7, etc. so most of them may be attacked by this virus,” said Vu Ngoc Son, BKAV’s Research Department director.