News
‘Virus’ doesn’t pose threat to iPod users
Russian security software firm Kaspersky Lab claims that it has discovered the first virus to infect iPods, but said the “proof of concept” virus does not pose a real threat. Kaspersky said the virus, named Podloso, will only run on iPods that have had Linux installed over the original Apple software, and that the virus files must to be loaded onto the iPod by the user. Also, Podloso cannot spread to other iPods.
“Once launched, the virus scans the device’s hard disk and infects all executable .elf format files,” explains Kaspersky. “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.’ It does not have a malicious payload and is unable to spread on its own: a user has to save the virus to the iPod for the device to become infected.”
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1
Sounds more like someone who was bored there made it in hopes to spurn some sort of stupid publicity.
The ipod Virus:
To install the iPod Virus….
stupid
Posted by miketcool on April 6, 2007 at 7:39 AM (PDT)
2
It’s not an iPod virus; it’s an iPodLinux virus.
I’m not even sure it qualifies as a virus, since it has no way of propogating itself. A user would have to be tricked into manually installing it.
In order to call something a “proof of concept” virus, wouldn’t you have to know the intent of the creator? So did Kaspersky discover this virus, or create it? (“Discovery” implies something that was pre-existing.)
Posted by BJ Nemeth on April 6, 2007 at 7:40 AM (PDT)
3
So to sum up: it’s not really a virus as much as it is a stupid add-on program for iPodLinux.
I guess this means the iPod is fundamentally flawed (like Windows people have been saying for so long) and the whole thing will have to go back to the drawing board. Oh well!
Posted by Multimoog on April 6, 2007 at 8:53 AM (PDT)
4
“L-O-L I just haxered teh iPod and made this virus!”
“Um, so how do you catch it?”
“Uh, you have to install it.”
“What does it do?”
“Um, nothing…stfu noob, it still owns joo.”
I can imagine this is the exact conversation the “virus” creator had when he first made the “virus”
Posted by Gecko on April 6, 2007 at 10:38 AM (PDT)
5
Yes Multimoog, they will have to redesign an ipod just to prevent some moog from installing a virus.
Please throw your ipod away and wait for the next secured gen ipod
Posted by unreal on April 6, 2007 at 11:20 AM (PDT)
6
“I guess this means the iPod is fundamentally flawed (like Windows people have been saying for so long)”
WTF? The vast, huge, massive, overwhelming majority of iPod users are Windows people. What exactly are you even talking about? This statement makes absolutely zero sense.
Posted by malren on April 6, 2007 at 2:34 PM (PDT)
7
In case you couldn’t tell, Multimoog’s post had a hint of sarcasm. Just a bit.
Posted by Nobody on April 6, 2007 at 3:22 PM (PDT)
8
This is rubbish. It’s not an iPod virus—it’s a Linux virus.
Posted by Japester on April 6, 2007 at 8:08 PM (PDT)
9
Nobody, it is obvious that malren knows Multimoog was being sarcastic. He was responding to the non-sarcastic comment about Windows users which was inserted into the global sarcastic comment. In case you couldn’t tell.
Posted by jarofchris on April 7, 2007 at 11:13 AM (PDT)
10
Since I’ve been reading iLounge, I’ve noticed a lot of people (mostly self-professed Windows users, people who also own iPods) talking about how flawed iPods, iTunes and Macs in general are. It seems like the slightest inconvenience or imperfection in either the hardware or software (or even a report of such inperfections, even if the commentor hasn’t experienced it) sends people into a tizzy, criticizing Apple as a whole, despite the fact that their stuff is still widely regarded as the best you can get.
THAT’S what I was being sarcastic about.
Posted by Multimoog on April 8, 2007 at 12:12 PM (PDT)