Dog Wars App Carrying Animal Rights Android Trojan
Dog Wars is back in the news, and it isn’t due to Michael Vick calling for the removal of the game from the Android Market. The already controversial app has seen an older version hijacked and pumped full of malware, according to Irfan Asrar of Symantec. Unlike some other nasty Android trojans, however, the one found within Dog Wars is designed to shame the person that downloaded it rather than cause harm to their handset. When installed, the malware known as Android.Dogowar injects a package known as “Dogbiet” into the the Android code, triggering a background service called “Rabies.” The result is your device sending an SMS message to all contact list entries with text reading, “I take pleasure in hurting small animals, just thought you should know that,” The malware also signs the users up for PETA text alerts.
The app, which isn’t found in the Android Market but rather on pirated “warez” sites, looks almost identical to the original save for one difference, and it’s easy to miss. Instead of reading “BETA,” closer inspection reveals that “PETA” is actually inscribed on the apps icon. Though the organization has previously spoken out against Dog Wars and has been known to deploy some dirty tactics in the past, PETA is denying any connection to the malware threat. Still, the animal rights group voiced support for the modified app, saying, “We don’t know who created this version of the app, but we think it is ingenious.”
[via CNET]