Big box retailer Best Buy has admitted that it sold digital picture frames over the festive period containing malicious software that targets Windows-based PCs.

The US electrical retail giant said that a "limited number" of the LCD panels were "contaminated with a computer virus during the manufacturing process". It sold the 10.4 inch flat-panel frames, which display digital images, under its in-house Insignia brand.

Earlier this week Insignia posted a product alert on its website warning Best Buy customers that although it had pulled the affected product with the model number NS-DPF10A from its stores and websites, some frames had already been bought that carried the malicious code.

However, it did not reveal how many had been sold to unsuspecting customers.

Best Buy also kept quiet on details of the malware that latches onto Windows operating systems, other than to say that it was an "older virus… easily identified and removed by current anti-virus software".

Best Buy said in a second notice that went up on Insignia's website on Wednesday that it was continuing to investigate the virus debacle and also dished out a helpdesk number for customers to call.

"We apologise for the inconvenience that has been caused as a result of this incident," said the company.

Earlier this month we reported on a growing number of incidents involving computer viruses and Trojan horse programs hitching a ride with digital photo frames. ®

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