Kaspersky Lab discovers the first virus for iPod

[Humpty]

Kaspersky Lab, a leading developer of secure content management solutions, has discovered the first virus designed to infect iPod portable media players. The virus, which has been named Podloso, is a proof of concept program which does not pose a real threat.

 

The virus is a file which can be launched and run on an iPod. It should be stressed that in order for the virus to function, Linux has to be installed on the iPod. If the virus is installed to the iPod by the user, the virus then installs itself to the folder which contains program demo versions. Podloso cannot be launched automatically without user involvement.

 

Once launched, the virus scans the device?s hard disk and infects all executable .elf format files. Any attempt to launch these files will cause the virus to display a message on the screen which says "You are infected with Oslo the first iPodLinux Virus".

 

Podloso is a typical proof of concept virus. Such viruses are created in order to demonstrate that it is possible to infect a specific platform. They do not have a malicious payload. Additionally, Podloso is unable to spread. The user has to save the virus to the iPod memory for the device to become infected. Podloso has no malicious payload, and does not present a real threat; it simply demonstrates that it is, theoretically possible to create malicious programs for such devices.

Kas Article

[Andavari]

Looks like someone is going to have to make iAntiVirus to catch all those iViruses, iWorms, and iTrojans, god forbid should there ever be a iNorton Antivirus iPod Edition.

[rridgely]

Why would you load linux on an ipod?

[Andavari]

Why would you load linux on an ipod?

Good question as there's no keyboard or mouse unless the thing is somehow controllable via the iPod controls, but that seems awfully limiting.

[fireryone]

Why would you load linux on an ipod?

 

Duh, So you can be infected by one of the few Linux viruses.

 

I think I'll stick to my iRiver

[CTskifreak]

iPod Linux has some neat tricks -- before the Video iPods came out... they were able to put together pictures really quickly on the photo iPods so it would look like a video.

 

Newer versions i think have some programs to run... but nothing spectacular.

 

AJ