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Android Malware May Have Infected 5 Million Users

bonch writes "A massive Android malware campaign may be responsible for duping as many as 5 million users into downloading the Android.Counterclan infection from the Google Android Market. The trojan collects the user's personal information, modifies the home page, and displays unwanted advertisements. It is packaged in 13 different applications, some of which have been on the store for at least a month. Several of the malicious apps are still available on the Android Market as of 3 P.M. ET. Symantec has posted the full list of infected applications."

3 of 280 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Google Needs To Get Their Ass In Gear by fluffy99 · · Score: 3, Informative

    Perhaps Symantec are flagging it as malware because it is using permissions that the app clearly does not need, and it is just some rookie developer that has permission code copied in from some other site?

    You could try clicking the link in the article and see why. http://www.symantec.com/security_response/writeup.jsp?docid=2012-012709-4046-99&tabid=2

    Or just be lazy like the rest of the slashdot heard.

  2. Re:Google Needs To Get Their Ass In Gear by stephanruby · · Score: 3, Informative

    No, it's flagging it as "Malware" because it wants to you do the following as their solution for removing the so-called "Malware". Note how they conveniently left the simplest instructions for uninstalling the application all the way at the bottom of the page (where almost no one will see it).

  3. Re:Indirectly related, but... by purpledinoz · · Score: 4, Informative

    Root your phone and use Droid Firewall. All apps by default have no network permissions. Once it's setup, it works really well.