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Virus-laced Android apps booted from Marketplace

Written by James Delahunty @ 04 Mar 2011 4:18 User comments (2)

Virus-laced Android apps booted from Marketplace Google has thrown out some rogue applications from the Android Marketplace after it emerged that they contained a virus.
All in all, more than 50 applications got the boot and three accounts were suspended after the discovery. A Reddit user, "Lompolo" is credited with finding the first dodgy apps after he noticed an application was listed under the name of a developer he knew didn't develop it.

The application was exactly the same as the original except for a change of title and of course, the malicious code buried inside it.

He initially found 21 apps but a further investigation by Android Police uncovered 50 in total. Lompolo estimated the rogue applications to have been downloaded between 50,000 and 200,000 times.

The virus lurking in the applications is "DroidDream", which immediately would call home to a remote server and send certain information, such as the phone's unique ID number. It checks first whether the handset is already infected and if not, will utilize a bunch of known security flaws in the operating system to infect the handset.



Once infected, code can be installed on the phone remotely and sensitive information can be stolen.

The latest version of Android (Gingerbread) is not vulnerable to the exploits used by the DroidDream malware.

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2 user comments

14.3.2011 21:13

Do you think Google will post the 50 applications that had contained a virus in them? I use the Android Market Place quite a bit. I hope I don't have any of those applications. It would be nice to know.
Thank you
bobgal53

24.3.2011 23:04

Originally posted by bobgal53:
Do you think Google will post the 50 applications that had contained a virus in them? I use the Android Market Place quite a bit. I hope I don't have any of those applications. It would be nice to know.
Thank you
bobgal53
"The Mother of all Android Malware has Arrived"
http://goo.gl/fb/AiyWD\

OS developers have access to your systems/devices whether you like it or not. They just won't tell you about it. Microsoft's "Coffee" government backdoor program was exposed in 2008.
https://newsworldwide.wordpress.com/2008/05/02/microsoft-discloses-government-backdoor-on-windows-operating-systems/

Apple #1 on Backdoor Botnets
http://thenextweb.com/apple/20...

The Fix: Sat. 5th 10pm PT
http://tcrn.ch/h2e4uR
This message has been edited since its posting. Latest edit was made on 06 Mar 2011 @ 5:09

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