Since iPods come pre-loaded with Apple’s software and not Linux, this shouldn’t be a threat to your cuddly device. A Russian-based anti-virus software developer, Kaspersky Lab has announced today that they have demonstrated the first virus designed to infect iPods loaded with Linux.

The virus, which has been named Podloso, is only a proof of concept virus program which only poses a real threat to iPods loaded with Linux only. Proof of concept virus is a small software used in order to demonstrate that it is possible to infect a specific platform.

“The virus is a file which can be launched and run on an iPod. It should be stressed that in order for the virus to function, Linux has to be installed on the iPod. If the virus is installed to the iPod by the user, the virus then installs itself to the folder which contains program demo versions. Podloso cannot be launched automatically without user involvement. “, said Kaspersky Lab.

Once launched, the virus scans the device’s hard disk and infects all executable .elf format files. 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”.

The virus doesn’t have a malicious payload, according to Kaspersky Lab. In addition, it wouldn’t be possible for Podloso to spread without the user involvement. Furthermore, in order for the device to become infected, users would have to intentionally save it manually to their iPod’s memory.

Kaspersky Lab also issued a final statement reassuring iPod owners by saying that “Podloso has no malicious payload, and does not present a real threat; it simply demonstrates that it is theoretically possible to create malicious programs for such devices”.