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'Metal Gear' Symbian OS Trojan Disables Anti-Virus
Omniscientist writes "Just when you thought your Series 60 smartphones were safe, a trojan has surfaced with a two-pronged attack that also in turn disables any anti-virus protection available. Infosyncworld has news about a trojan masquerading itself as a port for the Metal Gear game that disables all anti-virus software on the phone and other necessary utilities like file managers. Also, it affects other phones nearby it via Bluetooth. This trojan has been dubbed 'Metal Gear.a,' quite aptly."
So now I need tin foil for my cell phone, too.
Well, I don't really have a cell phone, but if I did..I'd need tin foil for it.
Job? I don't have time to get a job! Who will sit around and bitch about being broke and unemployed then?
I just want an unstoppable cell-phone virus that permanently disables ringing... then I could cope with the things being about.
HAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
... so how do they justify the hike? Oh they add in Java, cameras, ring tones, etc... You want a toy? Buy a gameboy. A phone should be phone.
This is what you get for making a phone "more than a phone".
Well that and price gouging. For example, a "quad-band GSM" phone often cells for $300 more than the average dual-band. However, going quad-band is mostly a small change in terms of the radio/hardware as it's just off by 50Mhz [e.g. the SWR won't be that high].
Hahahahahahaha
Tom
Someday, I'll have a real sig.
So don't panic too much about the Bluetooth infection method. When something truly independent like Code Red can spread via Bluetooth, that's when people will start leaving their mobiles at home. Hang on, there's an idea...maybe I can sell it to rail passengers and restaurant customers and make $$$$?
When I am king, you will be first against the wall.
That's not a worm. That's a feature.
"Oh look a Metal Gear Port.. horray downloading..."
"Dude you're cell.. it's dying I think..."
"Snake? SNAKE?! SSSSSNNNNAAAAAKKKKEEEEEE!!!!!!"
Just a boy doing unproffesional IT work that's way above his head.
Does anyone ever think of hitting the off button on there bluetooth?
I fell asleep last night with the comfort of knowing that all Series 60 phone users were safe. In fact, I said a little prayer giving thanks for that. Tonight, I doubt I sleep at all, what with all the worrying I will do for those poor, poor series 60 phone owners.
You can install a program on your computer that does bad things. Also on your Symbian mobile phone if you really really want to and decide to discard multiple warning messages.
Any real fan of the series would be expecting a set-up, anyway.
Embedded MS crap... I guess this is a troll. Regardless, Series 60 phones don't have any "MS crap" to my knowledge. The OS is Symbian, which has been putting out a good mobile OS for years (I had a Diamond Mako--rebranded Psion Revo Plus--PDA thing that I loved until the nonreplaceable battery crapped out far sooner than it should have). Sun's Java is also installed on Series 60 phones. Unless Bluetooth is somehow MS-related, you're either completely misinformed or trolling. The AC status of the post indicates the latter, I guess.
Honor Among Slackers. A veri
You're right, why carry around a compact device that can take pictures, play games, sync with my calender and e-mails and allow me to make calls, connect to the internet and now stream videos when I can carry around a Gameboy, a phone, a pda and a camera and a laptop!!
I spent ages trying to think of sig, but never did
I guess I should expect to see people staring at their phones going "Snake? SSSSNNNNAAAAAAKKKKEEEEEE!!!!"
I'll turn into a supernova and burn up everything. Well I'll turn into a black little hole and you'll turn into string.
Funny, I do want those features, just because you don't doesn't mean no phone should have them. You can still buy phones that do pretty much nothing useful other than being a phone, I reccommend you buy one of them; I'll buy one with a calender and games (since that's what I want).
I spent ages trying to think of sig, but never did
Sorry if it takes a little bit of work, but to find out this information you'll have to type in a few search terms - I'll help give you a start.
Try: "mobile phone" +"virus"
Backup not found: (A)bort (R)etry (P)anic
Actually, I'm laughing pretty hard at the thought people don't know you can disable bluetooth on phones.
I only turn mine on when I'm synching with something or using it as a data connection with my laptop.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
For those with broadband.
That's awesome, but I wish these guys would put their brainpower and idle time towards something more productive, like OSS software development.
The problem is that much of what needs to be done is boring and/or unchallenging. Some folks program because they like to solve problems, the "journey", not because they have a strong commitment to a project, the "destination". In the OSS world there are lots of people who would like to work on the interesting things and if they cannot they are more likely to not contribute than go work on the boring parts. Commercial software has an advantage here, do the drudgery, collect a paycheck. The solution: more donations, less "free beer", that fund programmers to work on the boring stuff.
That's why if I were to actually go about writing a virus, it would not actually disable any existing antivirus software at all, but would make suitable patches to the most common ones so that my virus would simply not be detected by it, thereby convincing most people into naively believing that their antivirus software is running as expected during what is actually the virus's dormancy period.
Why nobody else has tried this is beyond me.
Does the fact that I would even think of something like this make me a bad person?
File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
So who has more free time on their hands - the people who play online games on their phones or the people who write viruses for people who play online games on their phones.
I swear it's slackers like you that will lead to more ridiculous regulations.
I have to disagree. My cell phone is more than my phone. It is a device that I carry with me for many purposes. Sure I get calls on it, but that isn't the most important thing I use it for.
My main use for it turns out to be a clock that isn't uncomfortable to wear (I hate things on my wrist).
It also has some simple games good for keeping me entertained while waiting for the waiter to bring my order. (this is slashdot, of course I don't know any girls to eat with)
It is a handy kitchen timer that I can hear even when I'm at the other end of the house. The phone is on me, not the stove.
There is a useful calender that reminds me when important events come up. (A pain to enter them)
There is a calculator for times when I need to deal with more digits than I can remember at one time. I wish it has hex and graphics functions, but it works.
There is a camera attachment. Sure the pictures are poor, but it works, and I'm more likely to have this with me than a fancy camera.
All this, rolled into one tiny 1.5x4x.75 (inch) device.
Just when you thought your Series 60 smartphones were safe, a trojan has surfaced ... that disables all anti-virus software...
If the things need anti-virus software, they were never safe to begin with.
Edith Keeler Must Die
For a bunch of self defined "nerds" people here sure have a problem with high tech phones. I guess they have never wanted to look something up on google in the car, or connect their laptop to the internet wirelessly, check their email, or take a picture of something funny or important.
My nokia 6600 is awesome, gets great battery life, and reminds me when i am supposed to be places. Bluetooth lets me transfer information from my laptop to it, such as contact and calendar events.
It has revolutionized the way I use my cell phone,
If all you want to do is talk on the phone, thats fine, but as a bunch of nerds you must see how the smart cell phone is the future. Oh yeah, it never drops calls either.