Backdoor virus discovered on China Unionpay site

China Unionpay has over 172 million customers in the country.

According to a report by Chinese news agency Xinhau hackers unleashed the virus on Friday. The backdoor program, called Backdoor.BlackHole.2005.a, is capable of hijacking customer's computers when they visit the Web site.

The virus is designed to enable hackers to access customers PCs in order to steal passwords and other information. It was detected by local security software house Rising Corporation.

The program used has been in circulation for some time, says the firm, and can be readily detected and stopped with anti-virus software.

China Unionpay has declined to comment on the reports.