A number of Video iPods have been shipped containing Windows malware, according to security vendor Sophos.

In a statement on its web site iPod maker Apple has confirmed that some Video iPods available for purchase after 12 September 2006 left the firm's contract manufacturer carrying a malicious file called RavMonE.exe.

Less than one per cent of Video iPods shipped since 12 September are said to be infected. iPod Nanos and iPod Shuffle devices are not reported to be carrying the malicious file, which can only be activated on Windows computers.

Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said: 'It's most likely that some of the Video iPods were plugged into a Windows PC for testing purposes at Apple's Chinese-based contractor's manufacturing plant, which is why only some of them are infected rather than all. However, unfortunately, if you have bought a Video iPod in the last month there is a chance that it could have a Windows virus on it.'

'The good news is that if you have kept your anti-virus up-to-date then your software should have no trouble detecting it before it can do any harm. The even better news is if you own an Apple computer, since the malware only runs on Windows, not on Mac OS X,' said Cluley.

Sophos notes that presently Apple is not displaying the correct name for the malware on its website, instead referring to it as the RavMonE.exe Windows virus. However it is likely to be a member of the RJump virus family.

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Further Reading:

Social sites open door to malware

Malware threat doubles in September

Websense finds malware with Google