Another SMS Trojan Unleashed on Android
Last month we got word of an SMS trojan making its way out of Russia and on to Android handsets, and it turns out it isn’t the only one. A second virus has been located fitting the same M.O. as the first, this time going by the package name of Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS.FakePlayer.b as opposed to the original FakePlayer.a. According to Denis Maslennikov of Kaspernsky Lab — the same group that discovered the first SMS trojan — the latest virus is distributed “via clever search engine optimization techniques, a clear sign that cyber-criminals are making every effort to infect mobile devices.”
The entire attack is disguised as an internet porn portal application, and once downloaded (from a third party source online, you won’t find it in the Android Market) must be installed and does ask for permission to send SMS messages. However, SMS has become a popular billing method for those dipping into adult pay services so those downloading the app may be none the wiser. Once installed, though, there is no actual application to run, only an adult-themed icon on your homescreen and a background service pinging $5 text messages to premium numbers.
For now the trojans seem to be relegated to Russia, but just like any virus the potential is there for the spread of the malware to all corners of the world. If in your travels and searches around the world wide web you come upon an application like the one described above, be wary of the permissions it wants to be granted. Practice safe application installation!
[via InformationWeek]