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Android malware emerges on Google Play which installs a trojan on your PC, uses your microphone to record you

 
smilesun
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02/04/2013 04:18 PM
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Android malware emerges on Google Play which installs a trojan on your PC, uses your microphone to record you
We’ve seen malware for PCs that infects mobile devices, but it turns out there’s also malware for mobile devices designed to infect PCs. Kaspersky researchers have discovered a new piece of Android malware that masquerades as a “cleaner” app meant to free memory for Google’s operating system but wreaks havoc on your smartphone in the background and on Microsoft’s operating system when it’s connected to a PC.

The security firm says the malware has the most “extensive feature set” it has ever seen in one mobile app. Here’s the list:

Sending SMS messages.
Enabling Wi-Fi.
Gathering information about the device.
Opening arbitrary links in a browser.
Uploading the SD card’s entire contents.
Uploading an arbitrary file (or folder) to the master’s server.
Uploading all SMS messages.
Deleting all SMS messages.
Uploading all the contacts/photos/coordinates from the device to the master.
Once installed and executed on Android, the malicious app lists the running processes on your device and restarts them in the foreground to make it look like it’s doing what it’s designed to do. In the background, however, the app downloads three files (autorun.inf, folder.ico, and svchosts.exe) to the root of your SD card. When the smartphone is connected to a Windows computer in USB drive emulation mode, the svchosts.exe file (Backdoor.MSIL.Ssucl.a) is automatically executed on your PC.

The Windows part of the malware is not particularly sophisticated, but it is capable of taking control of the microphone to record you. It then encrypts all its recordings and sends them back to the attacker. Kaspersky explains how the malware authors are expecting this threat to spread:

Generally speaking, saving autorun.inf and a PE file to a flash drive is one of the most unsophisticated ways of distributing malware. At the same time, doing this using a smartphone and then waiting for the smartphone to connect to a PC is a completely new attack vector. In the current versions of Microsoft Windows, the AutoRun feature is disabled by default for external drives; however, not all users have migrated to modern operating systems. It is those users who use outdated OS versions that are targeted by this attack vector.

Read more [link to thenextweb.com]
Anonymous Coward
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02/04/2013 04:22 PM
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Re: Android malware emerges on Google Play which installs a trojan on your PC, uses your microphone to record you
KD
smilesun  (OP)

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02/04/2013 04:26 PM
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Re: Android malware emerges on Google Play which installs a trojan on your PC, uses your microphone to record you
KD
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 5070268


Smiley
Oubliette

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02/04/2013 04:27 PM
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Re: Android malware emerges on Google Play which installs a trojan on your PC, uses your microphone to record you
What's the app called?
This is an oubliette. The labyrinth is full of 'em.
Anonymous Coward
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02/04/2013 04:34 PM
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Re: Android malware emerges on Google Play which installs a trojan on your PC, uses your microphone to record you
What's the app called?
 Quoting: Oubliette


What's the app called?
Oubliette

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02/04/2013 04:45 PM
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Re: Android malware emerges on Google Play which installs a trojan on your PC, uses your microphone to record you
What's the app called?
 Quoting: Oubliette


What's the app called?
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 16910998


I'm normally really careful when downloading apps from Google Play, but my friend just got a new android phone, and she kind of sucks at anything tech. I'd like to be able to warn her about specific apps.
This is an oubliette. The labyrinth is full of 'em.
smilesun  (OP)

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02/04/2013 05:09 PM
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Re: Android malware emerges on Google Play which installs a trojan on your PC, uses your microphone to record you
What's the app called?
 Quoting: Oubliette


Read this [link to news.silobreaker.com]

MALWARE ALERT. Beware of apps that say they'll clean up your device and make it faster.

If you own an inexpensive Android phone and are looking to improve its performance, you will want to be more careful with the kind of "cleanup" apps you download off Google Play .

Smiley
smilesun  (OP)

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02/04/2013 05:10 PM
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Re: Android malware emerges on Google Play which installs a trojan on your PC, uses your microphone to record you
What's the app called?
 Quoting: Oubliette


What's the app called?
 Quoting: Anonymous Coward 16910998


Read this [link to news.silobreaker.com]

MALWARE ALERT. Beware of apps that say they'll clean up your device and make it faster.

If you own an inexpensive Android phone and are looking to improve its performance, you will want to be more careful with the kind of "cleanup" apps you download off Google Play .

Last Edited by smilesun on 02/04/2013 05:10 PM
Anonymous Coward
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04/20/2013 01:51 PM
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Re: Android malware emerges on Google Play which installs a trojan on your PC, uses your microphone to record you
Family of “BadNews” malware in Google Play downloaded up to 9 million times
Apps steal sensitive data, push SMS app that racks up charges to pricey service.

by Dan Goodin - Apr 20, 2013 3:21 pm UTC

Security researchers have unearthed a family of malware for Android-based smartphones that's been downloaded as many as 9 million times from Google Play, the official distribution platform hosted on Google servers.

BadNews, as the library of malicious code has been dubbed, was folded in to at least 32 applications offered by four different developer accounts, according to a blog post published Friday by Android app provider Lookout Mobile Security. Handsets that run the poisoned apps connect to a rogue server every four hours and report several pieces of sensitive information, including the device phone number and its unique serial number, known as an International Mobile Station Equipment Identity. The command and control servers, which were still operational as of Friday, also force some phones to display prompts to install AlphaSMS, a trojan that racks up charges by sending text messages to pricey services.

[link to arstechnica.com]





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