Android SMS trojan goes wild
Premium-rate text scam shows growing cracks in smart phone security.
The first known SMS trojan affecting smart phones running Google's Android operating system has been
observed in the wild, highlighting growing cracks in the security veneer of the latest range of glossy smart phones.
The trojan was first identified by researchers at Kaspersky Lab (whose report on the problem can be read
here). After tricking users into installing the code by
disguising it as a free media player app, the trojan sends premium-rate SMS messages, racking up expensive bills for the
phone's owner and raking in cash for the malware's operators. So far the trojan is only thought to be affecting users
in Russia; a more technical breakdown of its operation is
here.
The news comes just days after Apple announced a patch for a security vulnerability in its iOS, running
on iPhones, iPod Touches and iPads, which could allow a website to run code to 'jailbreak'
the device, simply by being viewed. While no malicious attacks were known to be using the exploit, it highlights the
very real threat to the security of the latest generation of smart phones - thought by many to be inherently safe
thanks to their relatively closed design and limited ability to install new software.
The updates to fix the flaw (details here for
iPhone/iPod Touch users and here for iPads) require
fairly large downloads, and it seems likely that users who do not update promptly will be at risk from maliciously crafted
sites in the near future. The security risks of jailbroken devices have already been demonstrated by the 'Ikee' and 'Duh'
worms seen in 2009.
Several vendors have already released security solutions for the current generation of phones, with others thought to be
working on offerings; meanwhile a specialist developer has already deployed 2.5 million copies of a free
Android anti-malware app, as reported in The Register
here. The Register also has more
details on the Android and iPhone problems
here and
here.
12 August 2010
Tags:
android, apple, exploit, google, ios, ipad, iphone, ipod, jailbreak, malware, smart phone, trojan, vulnerability.
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1 comment
it also cause me high paying bill..i just notice it when i just reload my handphone bill, suddenly the money is gone..out of noware..
by jewokk, 26 August 2010, 06:48
This month's VB100 test saw some major changes and a radical overhaul of the VB100 test methodology - for the first time allowing products to use their 'cloud' look-up systems. John Hawes has all the details.