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Lookout Finds 25 Newly Infected Android Applications, Google Swiftly Removes Them

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Yep, it’s that time of the month again. This time, the folks at Lookout were alerted to another malware infestation running wild in the Android market. Dubbed “DroidDreamLight”, this new attack does a lot of the same things DroidDream did – stealing IMEI numbers, model names and numbers, and more.

The application still has the ability to upload that information to a remote server, but permission must be granted by the user. (We’re not sure how exactly the user is asked for said permission.) First thing’s first – download Lookout, run a scan and be sure to scrub your phone of the following:

Magic Photo Studio
• Sexy Girls: Hot Japanese
• Sexy Legs
• HOT Girls 4
• Beauty Breasts
• Sex Sound
• Sex Sound: Japanese
• HOT Girls 1
• HOT Girls 2
• HOT Girls 3

Mango Studio
• Floating Image Free
• System Monitor
• Super StopWatch and Timer
• System Info Manager

E.T. Team
• Call End Vibrate

BeeGoo
• Quick Photo Grid
• Delete Contacts
• Quick Uninstaller
• Contact Master
• Brightness Settings
• Volume Manager
• Super Photo Enhance
• Super Color Flashlight
• Paint Master

After that, don’t worry as Google has already removed these applications from the Android market. Some 30,000 – 120,000 folks are said to have these applications on their phones, but no word was said on who was subject to the underlying malicious functions.

We’re sad to see Malware running rampant and it doesn’t appear this sort of stuff will go away any time soon, but at least folks like Lookout are being proactive in tracking it down and Google is there to take care of the situation right away. Be sure to brush up on your downloading skills and make sure you aren’t at risk with the following tips from Lookout:

  • Only download apps from trusted sources, such as reputable app markets. Remember to look at the developer name, reviews, and star ratings.
  • Always check the permissions an app requests. Use common sense to ensure that the permissions an app requests match the features the app provides.
  • Be alert for unusual behavior on your phone. This behavior could be a sign that your phone is infected. These behaviors may include unusual SMS or network activity.
  • Download a mobile security app for your phone that scans every app you download to ensure it’s safe. Lookout users automatically receive protection against this Trojan.

And in case you were wondering, that red Android figurine up there is supposed to be evil. Yea, he looks scary.

 

Quentyn Kennemer
The "Google Phone" sounded too awesome to pass up, so I bought a G1. The rest is history. And yes, I know my name isn't Wilson.

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24 Comments

  1. Talk about closing the barn doors after the horse is gone.

    1. Yes it is.

    2. Totally

  2. So how much did lookout pay you to write this article?

    1. if they didnt i will. this shit is beginning to be an epidemic!

      but…i heard it best from leo laporte…these guys are only focusing on the lower types…i mean look at the apps that have the virus! no malware writer is going to waste time developing a good app then infect it with malware. its only the crappy apps.

    2. Why do you all always assume that we are paid by the companies we write about to write articles? We actually aren’t paid to write 99% of stuff we do write. And if we are, you’ll certainly know it before even reading the article. As for me, I’m just trying to spread the word and make sure people know what’s going on.

      -Q

    3. I can’t imagine Lookout paid them to write this article. It seems that everytime Phandroid writes an article about an app, be it something cool, like the lava lamp wallpaper, or this, people seem to think they’re getting paid for it. I’m pretty sure this is supposed to be an Android news site, and unless I am very mistaken, this falls very squarely into “news”. Would you prefer it if they never reported on apps? Then, you may not catch that new cool game or wallpaper, or to make it even more interesting for you, you may not find out about the app that is stealing your info. I’m not trying to flame you, I’m simply pointing out that this is an Android news site. What, exactly, would you have them report on?
      @Quentyn, thanks for the heads up. I don’t use any of those apps, but it’s nice to know about them when they are found out.

    4. Troll much?

  3. ridiculous!! google get it together..

    1. Agreed. Why does Google have to find only when announced by a company like Lookout? 
      There’s a difference between open & proactive and indifferent & inattentive.

      1. Well, Lookout, who write anti-virus software for Android, only found out because a dev told them about modified versions of his apps showing up on the App Store — if Lookout can’t proactively discover viruses, what makes you sure that Google can? Or anyone for that matter?

  4. What?!? Something named sexy beauty hot Japanese breasts girls had malware in it?!? I’m shocked! Shocked and dismayed! 

    Some of the other titles, I might be a little more understanding if a user got bitten by. That whole first group though, you’d pretty much deserve whatever malware got installed for being so dense.

    1. Muahahah… that is nearly word for word the thought process that went through my head as I read the article. I’m glad I’m not nearly the only person to think that.

    2. but .. but . those apps seems innocent .. I mean how can something be sexy and contain infection ?

      1. Oh, I’ve got a few girls I can introduce you to. :P

  5. The suggestion to check the reviews of applications seems to be almost useless.  While I love my Android phone over my old iPhone, the App Market is horrendous about spam and self-promotion when it comes to reviews.  Almost every shitty app in the market has 4 to 5 stars, for which we know that most are undeserving of that.  This is one of the few areas that the iPhone App Store seems to be better.

  6. If you downloaded any of the apps by “Magic Photo Studio”, you probably deserve malware.

  7. This situation is really starting to take the piss.

    Google: sort it out FFS.

    On the other hand, why people would want some of these apps is alarming in itself.

  8. Not surprised at all. This problem won’t be going away anytime soon.

  9. THIS IS A GREAT FREAKIN’ ARTICLE!!! Just want to say that.

    Almost feel the need to write this up AGAIN!

    1. Yeah, but you got censored apparently……cause its gone! If it makes you feel better I read yours prior to Q’s.

  10. These malware apps are just scareware invented by APPLE. So STFU and keep supporting Android. If we get a few here and there who gives a fk.

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