Experts have discovered a malicious application that can steal money via phones running Google’s Android operating system, it poses as a media player but once installed it begins sending out premium rate text messages to the app’s creator who collects the fees.
It was first discovered by Kaspersky Labs and is thought to be the first application of its kind to hit Android, an otherwise solid system. Mobile security firm Lookout on Tuesday warned that a booby-trapped Movie Player application is infecting Android phones in Russia with a virus that sends costly text messages. Russia-based Kaspersky Lab discovered the malicious “Trojan” code hidden in a media player application people are enticed to download onto smartphones.
The Trojan uses the system to begin sending SMS messages to premium rate numbers without the owner realizing or consenting resulting in cash passing from a user’s account to that of the ‘crooks’. So if you thought that robots and Droids can’t be attacked, you were wrong! This however is the first virus attack on Andorid OS and Kaspersky has predicted that more attacks could be seen in the future.
The good thing is since the trojan works with the install, Android users are advised not to install any app from unknown sources.
