Linux/iPod proof-of-concept sighted
New minority platform joins infectable list.
Virus analysts have reported receiving samples of a proof-of-concept virus for the iPodLinux operating system,
a port of the open-source platform to Apple's popular media-player device.
The proof-of-concept is far from stable and has fairly limited functionality, requiring manual installation and
launching, but once running can infect .elf executable files found on the device. With the platform itself in use
only by a small number of specialist users, the significance of the find is generally thought to be minor.
'With the onslaught of targeted stealth malware backed by organised crime, many thought the old days of viruses
created purely to push boundaries and break new ground were behind us,' said
John Hawes, Technical Consultant at Virus Bulletin. 'However, it seems
that just as serious Linux hackers seem to take endless pleasure in porting their favourite operating
system to the latest and most unlikely platforms, there are also people who remain enchanted with the idea of
proving that the core functionality of a virus can be transposed to new environments. It's pretty unlikely that
this example will pave the way for a flood of threats for this minority platform, but it will of course add more
work for the virus analysts, and further complexity to classification systems.'
The proof-of-concept proved too
buggy for researchers at F-Secure to activate, but Kaspersky had more luck, and posted a
blog entry and a more detailed
release on the subject.
11 April 2007
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