Apple says some 5.5G iPods shipped with Windows virus!
By Paul Miller 
posted October 17th 2006 2:41PM
posted October 17th 2006 2:41PM
We've alway known of Apple's hopes to wean the masses off of their Windows peecees through the elegance of the iPod, but we're afraid they've taken things a bit too far this time. According to Apple, less than one percent of their 5.5G iPod shipments made after September 12th have a little present in the form of the RavMonE.exe virus, which propagates via mass storage devices, and purportedly had infected a PC at the manufacturer where the iPods were produced. Apple has received 25 or so reports of the problem, which they learned of a week ago, and they've "been working around the clock to identify the problem and discover its root cause." Apple has instructions for removal of the virus on their site, but there's no need for full-blown panic because RavMonE.exe is "technically a worm, not a virus," meaning it lowers the security of your PC, but doesn't actual mess with your data itself. Of course, Apple is "upset at Windows for not being more hardy against such viruses," but they're "even more upset with ourselves for not catching it." As they should be.
Stevie will be when Microsoft starts selling Mac friendly zunes with a mac virus on it.
OF COURSE Apple uses PCs and Windows in their corporation. If you think about it, it makes a LOT of sense that they do, because they make a number of software and hardware products that work either run on Windows OS's or have to work well with PC hardwware, including: iTunes, Quicktime, the iPods, the Mighty Mouse, not to mention the software products they develop for MacOSX that are used to provide interoperability with the Windows XP platforms and environments, not to mention Boot Camp, an Apple product which allows their Intel Macs to boot up from a Windows XP or Vista installation.
For similar reasons, Microsoft uses Macs in their corporation as well, ESPECIALLY in their Macintosh Business Unit (MacBU). Microsoft still sells a large quantity of software for the Mac, such as the MS Office Suite.
I'm an Apple user, and have been for 13 years, and i am also a WinXP user, and have more than enough experience with it to know that there are some tasks that each platform is better suited for. I'm a fan of Apple, and their products, but i'm not so much of a "fan-boy" that I'm going to assume that each platform and their developers live in worlds where they believe they are, or can function totally independently and still survive. And in that light, the fan-boys each, of both stripes, should try to realize that as well.
Yes, PCs are used in the manufacture of iPods. They are better suited for that task, (or at least, the manufacturer believes that to be so. (I don't know for certain myself, when it comes to making iPods). That the PCs being used were infected isn't the fault of Apple, or even Microsoft (not directly, anyway). it's the manufacturer's fault for failing to secure their systems, and even moreso, it's the fault of the person who created the worm in the first place. If you are going to try to point finger at anyone, look at those two.
At least Apple is taking responsibility for the issue, and is attempting to correct it. What has Microsoft done to secure their systems, to ensure that worms such as these can no longer affect their operating systems, and their users? And why should that job belong to a 3rd party, when it's within their power to make the fundamental fixes to begin with? If you are going to assign blame and point fingers, please point them in the right direction.
It's all that I ask, anyway.
- Bardiel
It is funny. Comedy is tragedy plus time. I guess it will take a bit of time for you to see the humour. What I do find disconcerting is that the Chinese six year olds that are building these iPods don't know the first thing about Windows security. I guess it's hard to find good child labour these days.
The timing couldn't be better to put the thought of viruses on PMPs into peoples heads just before Microsoft releases the Zune.
No, see there is this little thing called context that plays a fairly big part in humor as well. For example, Mel Gibson saying that "all the world's wars are caused by the Jews" is not funny, Jon Stewart saying it is. Pat Robertson saying that someone is doomed to hell for premarital sex, not funny. Bill Maher saying it, funny. Al Frankin saying that Bush is stupid, not funny. Bush's wife saying it, funny! Seeing the pattern? Now if Bill Gates had made the comment, it might have been funny. However, when the one group of people most expected to make a comment, make exactly the comment you would expect them to make, that isn't much of a joke.
What's next on this comedy tour d'force? Some uproariously hilarious comment like Steve jobs letting loose with a knee-slapper like "Windows isn't a very good operating system."
Oh, and your child labor crack was infinitely more humorous than Apple's snarky comment, by the way.
Yeah... So what are you going to DO about it, APPLE?
Bardiel, I agree with you.
For you that are calling "omfg conspiracy!! apple wants to take down windows with cheap shots!! what babies!", you guys are fags. Seriously consider what your saying. I lol'd at Apple for their display of insecurity, and I lol'd at Microsoft for there OS, insecure as always. (I'm a Linux user.) It'd be interesting to find out how this happened.
I don't see how its such a big deal. It happens. Don't blame Microsoft because of their insecure OS, don't blame Apple for their display of insecurity, and don't blame the guy that wrote it. (thats retarded) Simply lol.
I thought it was funny, because I like laughing at the expense of others, but I also got a kick out of the basic idea of Apple shipping out a virus.
Frankly, Apple needs to try whatever they can to get more than 4.5 of the US PC marketshare.
Where do you live in the world that you can call people fags like it's something to be ashamed of?
All it proves is your immaturity. grow up, man
Man apple, just because you know that you are going to get pwn3d by the zune doesn't mean that you need to try to take windows down ;)
On a more realistic note, whoever sent in the infected ipod was genius I tell you, GENIOUS. I mean think about the number of computers affected now! If I ever send in a mas storage device in the future I am so infecting it :)
Do any of you actually read past the Engadget article?
Pinhead: Apple clearly states on their website that they are more upset with themselves for not catching the virus in the first place. Please, try not to live up to your screen name next time. :)
rgraen: There are no viruses for OS X, period. There have been worms in the past (like the Leap/A worm for iChat), but no true viruses to speak of.
You have to admit, it's a bit low of Apple to use a manufacturing flaw on their part as an opportunity to dig against Microsoft. I laugh as much as the next guy at the Get A Mac's, but I also shake my head when the new ads are of the "oh yeah? well you're just stupid" persuasion. Meh, Apple's not playing professionally (which isn't necessarily a bad thing). Jobs has always gone for the laid-back real-person kind of style, so a dig like that against Microsoft isn't so much out of character as it is uncouth.
Well I'll be damned. I recently purchased an 5.5G iPod (in Wisconsin) and my Kaspersky 6 started finding this
Worm.Win32.RJump.a File: N:RavMonE.exe/Py2Exe
thought it was an error but I let it remove it anyway...
I guess that makes it 26...
PC in the APPLE plant
This is the only thing I'll talk about. I'm going to school for mechanical engineering and have been in several types of manufacturing plants. The two big names ones being Kohler and Harley-Davidson; I've worked at both as an intern. Ever see a car commercial with those robotic arms welding the frames on an assembly line? The robotics, assembly lines, machine controls, industrial machinery, Finite Element Analysis, [I could keep going], etc. used are all usually PC based. I'm not saying MAC OSX isn't in manufacturing facilities, I just haven't seen it. That's why I'm not surprised to hear that a PC was in an Apple plant. With all of that type of manufacturing equipment, there WILL be a PC around somewhere. Some machinery does have its own ground-up custom programming, but probable originated on a PC. The product that is shipped out of the plant isn't representative of what is used to make it.
It's NOT an apple plant. It's an iPod plant not owned by apple.
And I'm sure if you ever travelled to the marketing/advertising depts, there would be some macs in use.
For the idiots:
Apple DOES NOT own any manufacturing plants! Therefore they DO NOT dictate which OS is on the computers at said manufacturing plant.
Much like the iPod, Microsoft will not build a single Zune. Microsoft just developed the damn thing. Same with Apple.
Some plant in Taiwan/China/India, or any number of 3rd world countries makes the iPod and Zune. Probably in the same plant for all we know.
Maybe an accidental Zune/iPod hybrid will be sold
i hate myself for reading all these comments.
Visit my blog for Ravmone.exe removal. A free simple program has been developed by my friend.
http://dexxlovestopwn.blogspot.com/2006/10/virus-talk.html
"Lets be honest guys, that jab at Windows was good and funny. Some people here need to grow a sense of humor instead of puckering up a certain part of the body in pride and hostility...
Learn to laugh."
Okay. How's this one:
I'm upset that Apple's market share isn't higher, but I'm even more upset at how I can't buy an Apple notebook because they're so darned expensive.
Man, you're right. That was fun!
"I think we all can agree that a worm propagated via mass storage is wacky enough." -- No, it's a return to the old days, when worms and viruses propagated primarily via floppies.
I remember that I got CIH from a floppy.
I also got lots of headache from CDs, they both said: Windows (98/XP). :D
Well, it looks to me like some apple employee got a bit bored, and decided to roll out some exclusive ipods.
"Stevie will be when Microsoft starts selling Mac friendly zunes with a mac virus on it."
No one in their right mind that owns a Mac will buy a Zune. Chances are if you own a Mac, then you are already in the correct mind frame.
I'd actually like to see M$ come up with the brains to make a Mac OS X virus anyway.
What people don't seem to understand is that OS X is based on BSD, a version of Unix/Linux. For those unfamiliar with Linux, it is an open source OS, which means that it has been tested, corrected and re-tested by millions over the past 15 years. Not some corporate employees that have a deadline to meet, so they can't properly test and plug all the holes in the OS.
Just came across this article (http://www.gfi.com/news/en/ipodvirus.htm) by GFI which is very much related to this particular issue actually, it discusses how easily it is for viruses and other malware to be introduced to your corporate network - something which companies could have easily been affected by with iPod being infected by malware.
There are unix viruses out there too u kno :)
http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2006/02/20060216234239.shtml
People always try to defend their system. The Windows users call out Apple for making a cheap shot at PCs, while the Mac users tell us something we seem to already know. And the Linux users, well, they just sit back and laugh.
This is quickly becoming an epic Mac vs. PC debate, but I'd just like to point out that there is no such thing as one hundred percent invulnerability when it comes to operating systems. Just because Macs don't commonly get viruses doesn't mean they are immune to them.
I'm not saying that Macs are potentially just as susceptible to viruses as PCs, but it is possible to make a virus for a Mac, and if anyone buys a Mac under the impression they've just bought the Superman of personal computing, their perception is incorrect.
There will come a time when Macs do need antivirus software, I am certain of it. It might not be soon, but eventually it will happen.
My laptop was affected by this worm. =[ It was awful, I finally get past my disposition against Apple and I buy an iPod, only to find out that it was the cause of one of the worst afflictions of my machine ever. I had to factory restore my pc because of it. =[
I didn't connect it with the iPod at first. I totally distrust Apple yet again. ;-;
arguing on the internet
windows users have been fighting worms and viruses for years, and they haven't stopped buying these computers. so why would apple do it on purpose. not logical. i can't believe this battle between the two platforms still continues. maybe your just to white and nerdy. http://www.myspace.com/weirdal