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'Metal Gear' Symbian OS Trojan Disables Anti-Virus

Posted by timothy on from the phone-might-be-short-the-right-video-card-too dept.

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."

5 of 197 comments (clear)

  1. Oh Great.. by Renraku · · Score: 5, Funny

    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?
    1. Re:Oh Great.. by snorklewacker · · Score: 5, Informative

      Bluetooth is normally off by default. Even if it's on, it's going to prompt you multiple times if an unknown device tries to connect -- once to establish the connection, again to receive anything, then you have to explicitly open the attachment and go through yet another warning about installing software. Spreading via bluetooth is probably more effective via trusted paired devices. my gf and I have 6600's and we have them paired so we can share pictures more or less instantly. So if for some reason one of our phones got this worm, then it would transmit to the other phone pretty much silently -- still wouldn't auto-install though.

      In other words, if you have a brain, you're safe. Watch out for bluesnarf attacks though, which can read all your data off your phone if you have an older bluetooth stack.

      --
      I am no longer wasting my time with slashdot
  2. Since no one has done it yet... by JossiRossi · · Score: 5, Funny

    "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.
  3. The phone have started to move! by GlueyPorchBoy · · Score: 5, Funny

    Any real fan of the series would be expecting a set-up, anyway.

  4. MG by justforaday · · Score: 5, Funny

    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.