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First real cell phone virus.... (Android) (1 Viewer)

mattCR

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I'm sure when people first thought "First real, in the wild cell phone virus.." they assumed it'd be Windows Phone 7. Nope, Android gets the bite first.


http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.977b068acd47e413d8fd13a095054327.c1&show_article=1




A virus infecting mobile phones using Google's Android operating system has emerged in China that can allow a hacker to gain access to personal data, US security experts said.


A report this week from Lookout Mobile Security said the new Trojan affecting Android devices has been dubbed "Geinimi" and "can compromise a significant amount of personal data on a user?s phone and send it to remote servers."

The firm called the virus "the most sophisticated Android malware we've seen to date."


"Once the malware is installed on a user's phone, it has the potential to receive commands from a remote server that allow the owner of that server to control the phone," Lookout said.

Bundling itself into Android apps that have made their way onto websites (not the marketplace) purporting to be "free downloads" these apps allow remote takeovers of the phone, to harvest email addresses, phone #s, contact information, etc.


Fun!
 

Adam Gregorich

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I'm sure when people first thought "First real, in the wild cell phone virus.." they assumed it'd be Windows Phone 7. Nope, Android gets the bite first.
It makes sense that they would target Android based on market share and how open the app installs are. Common sense is the first line of defense. What do you want to bet that some of the first anti-virus apps will have the virus?
 

Hanson

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I'd be more worried if I lived in China. And since it doesn't affect any Market Apps, it only potentially affects a very small number of users.
 

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