BEIJING -- A computer virus, almost identical to the "Panda burning joss sticks" that plagued China's cyberspace for several months, has returned to haunt Chinese Internet users, according to a Chinese anti-virus software company.

Experts with the Beijing-based Jiangmin New Tech Ltd said the new virus, known as "Shadow of Panda", is "like a twin brother" to the virus "Panda burning joss sticks", one of the worst to hit China.

The new virus, just like the old one, infects program files and steals the account names and passwords of online game players and popular chat sites.

The notorious "Panda burning joss stick" started to spread through the Internet last December. It flashed a picture of a panda holding three joss sticks to substitute all the icons of files that had been infected.

The creator of the "Panda burning joss stick" was identified as 25-year-old Li Jun in Wuhan, but only after millions of computers had been infected nationwide. Li confessed to selling the virus to 12 people for 100,000 yuan (US$12,887).

The police subsequently released some anti-virus software written by Li Jun to fight against his own "Panda" in February.

The maker of the new "Shadow of Panda" has written a line in his virus code, saying, "I despise the commercialized anti-virus companies. The panda is gone, so is creator Li Jun, but I will carry on his unfinished task. I will devote myself selflessly to improving the safety awareness of Chinese netizens."

The Jiangmin company said anti-virus experts had found solutions to deal with the new virus and asked netizens to download upgraded anti-virus software as soon as possible.