Virus/Spywear on look-alike ipod MP4

[Ecosse-Zander-52]

Hi all.
Just to let you know that i had various mp4 ipod look alikes, all with different memory sizes and slightly different looks. I was glad when i found out that all them stored what they said they would, and all worked fine, so i assumed everything was ok.

I connected all of them to my pc to ensure they were working and my at-the-time anti-virus softwear gave the all clear.

However, later that week upgraded to Trend Micro 2007, and when i connected one of them it found a "backdoor" virus and spywear program, under the filenames "001.jpg" and "FOLDER.htt". I then tested all my mp4's, and low-and-behold, had exactly the same problems.

The problem is my older anti-virus softwear, which was up-to-date still failed to spot any problems, so i recommend that you should check any ipod MP4 look-alikes (and possibly any other mp4s for that matter) with trend micro.

The virus was a "backdoor", which can allow others to connect to your pc and the spywear tried, amongst other things, to grab cd-keys of certain softwear.

I hope this helps others who may have these mp4 players, wether or not this malwear is placed on the players intentially is anyones guess, but i think it is. :x

[Lorne]

ur anti virus shit may be 2 sensitive and mistaking it, happind to me a lot

[tadad1]

Ecosse-Zander-52, Thanks for the heads up on this problem.
Did all the players come from the same supplier and had you connected them to your PC before?

The reason I ask is I am wondering if the infections originated from a virus\trojan already on your PC.

They can be set to install themselves silently when a removable drive is connected as a means of spreading the infection which is then transfered to the next PC you attach the player or usb drive to.

Something to look out for though.

[Ecosse-Zander-52]

Hi tadad1

Yes all 5 were from the same supplier, however i had bought mp3's from the seller before no problems so i bought them in confidence.

As for virus etc automatically copying onto removable devices, i highly doubt it as there are loads of removable devices connected to my pc: Other mp4s, mp3s, memory card readers, and mass storage devices: All of which i have checked and none affected.

Surely any virus which would copy itself would copy onto all connected devices, and not just a certain 'batch' of mp4s?

Anyways; When i found the virus on the mp4 the pc was doing a full system scan (mabey i should have pointed this out) so it probably would have found anything on the PC causing this then.

I believe this virus has been placed on the mp4 at time of manufacture.
I would like to know if anyone else has experienced a similar problem.

[Lorne]

WHOA WHOA, LEMME GET THIS STRAIGHT..

I WAS RIGHT?!?!?!

[admin]

Ecosse-Zander-52,

By the sounds of it, yeh, it seems like it was placed on at time of manufacturer. Probably unknowingly.

As MP4's are generally made in bulk it probably was placed on there unknowingly (either a virus itself) and copied over to all the MPx players. Probably afterwards they discovered that "oh no, we've found a virus" and deleted it. That would be my guess.