Slashdot Mirror
Android Hackers Honing Skills In Russia
MikeatWired writes "The malware business growing around Google Android — now the leading smartphone operating system — is still in its infancy. Today, many of the apps built to steal money from Android users originate from Russia and China, so criminal gangs there have become cyber-trailblazers. Sophos and Symantec on Wednesday released their latest Android malware discoveries written in Russian. While the language narrows the number of potential victims, the social-engineering tactics used to get Android users to install the malware is universal. The gang tracked by Sophos is using fake antivirus scanners, while Symantec is tracking cybercriminals using mobile websites to offer bogus versions of popular games. Sophos says the criminals are like other entrepreneurs launching startups. They're starting in Russia, but have far greater ambitions. 'I don't think we can say that they're necessarily using it as a testing ground — think of it more as a local business that as it grows may gain multinational ambitions,' Graham Cluley, senior technology consultant at Sophos, said in an email interview on Wednesday. The cyber scam tracked by Sophos was reported this week by GFI Lab, which discovered links to the bogus antivirus software on Twitter. Sophos dug deeper and found that the .ru domains pointed to the same Internet protocol address hosted in Ukraine."
In the farthest right bottom corner you'll find a link labelled "Sumbit Story". Click it.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
With android isn't it just easier to write a legitimate app and just rake in the cash? I don't see the reasoning behind going through all the extra effort, the money laundering, etc.
Help stamp out iliturcy.
With android isn't it just easier to write a legitimate app and just rake in the cash?
HA HA HA HO HE HA HA HA HA.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Your desktop likely has the same malware problems any android phone will have. Why? It's not a walled garden. Well, android is in a sense more of a walled garden than your desktop, however not nearly as much of one as iOS/WP. Android virus infections are the result of a pebkac, and nothing more. In other news, I was originally going to make a soviet Russia joke.
Feel free to mod me down, just know that unlike some Anonymous Cowards I'm not afraid to express my views as myself.
You mean they found Lore in Russia?
Unfortunately I agree. I used to love Android when it was at version 2.x but I have since been using an iPhone (provided by my employer). Now that I have seen all the malware floating around the Android Market, I don't think I will go back. I'm not anti-Google. I use a lot of Google services and I'm not one of those privacy concerned people. But I do care about installed crap software on my devices whether it be a phone of a computer.
This is possible on Android because you can install software from anywhere, including Google's Play marketplace, Amazon and other places, or just side-loading apk files. Google's market is affectively malware-free, although the occasional software may pop up again in the future there because they don't have an extremely intrusive evaluation process. Maybe they, or someone else should create one. This is the price you pay for freedom ... you're not trading for security. This is not an anti-Google story.
That said, yes, there are a lot of anti-Google stories, far more than there are for those that are the most likely for funding them (FaceBook was caught before, but I think there are others as well). They will eventually be caught, and the vast majority of the population will ignore the news, just like the vast majority ignore the anti-Google stories and continue to fund pooly behaved companies based on trends, fashion, and advertising.
Symantec (a seller of anti-virus software) says there are viruses EVERYWHERE! News at 11.
I'd mod you up if I could...
*squints* can't tell if clever satire alluding to "leave brittney alone" meme, or just butthurt fanboi.
Long, long time Android user and never had a problem. Then again, I don't download fart apps or pretty women wallpapers.
PEBKAC isn't really relevant in this context. In any case if you for whatever reason want your phone to be as open as your computer then you need to take those extra precautions of a non-locked down system, if you choose a walled-garden approach instead you don't have to concern yourself with such things nearly as much...but that's the great thing about the choice of mobile platforms in today's market.
How many times have you Android phone been infected?
Ever wonder why:
1) The borg logo is gone from MS articles?
Probably not relevant anymore since every other company just has their logo, pretty logical, but that's not really your thing i suppose.
2) Many pro-Linux articles have first posts related to Microsoft or posted with intentions of muddying the comments?
Yes it's called Trolling and they use the Firehose, very simple...but your conspiracy theory is nice too :)
3) Many anti-MS articles have first posts defending MS or attacking or mocking the Linux or Slashdot Linux friendly user base?
Yeah because the anti-Google article doesn't have any posts defending Google and attacking Microsoft...oh wait. The article has nothing to do with Microsoft and doesn't serve their interests any more than it serves the interests of companies like Apple or Facebook...oh but Microsoft is evil and controls the world, is must be their work, in fact they own Russia and China too so this Android malware is all Microsoft's doing!!!
Microsoft shills are everywhere, it's not difficult to see.
Yes i'm sure microsoft actually pays people to do this but when it's any other company like Google or Apple or Facebook or Oracle it's just 'trolls' or 'fanbois'.
Well done keeping the conspiracy theories ticking over and continuing to not let logic stand in the way!
Bah, you kids and your silly Russian hackers. Back in my day, when an android got hacked, it ended up going on a spree and killing half the town.
Touch screen keyboards totally count. Either way, you're correct, if you choose to live walled in, you're more than welcome to. If you don't, you'd best be smart about it.
Feel free to mod me down, just know that unlike some Anonymous Cowards I'm not afraid to express my views as myself.
Android's biggest malware problem is users who intentionally went in and set WALLED_GARDEN=OFF so they could install warez.
Yes, Google's app store has some crappy policies which let malware slip through, but most of it is users bringing it on themselves.
That's pretty much what I was getting at. Stupid Anonymous Coward, you'll never get modded up like this! D=
Feel free to mod me down, just know that unlike some Anonymous Cowards I'm not afraid to express my views as myself.
Thank you for taking a stand for the /. karma system, Noitatsidem (1701520) (email not shown publicly), we need more users like you.
When you pick up your phone, someone reaches out and touches YOU!
What the hell is up with this recent flood of anti-google articles and comments on Slashdot? Has Slashdot been hired by Microsoft, Apple and/or Facebook to do smear attack campaign on Google?
Just leave Google alone. They're a great company and don't deserve this bullshit with half-truth stories. They actually care about you. They give you free things. They release open source. They fight for your rights. SO LEAVE GOOGLE ALONE!
Slashdot used to be a better place. We would fight against evils like Bill Gates and Microsoft (a convicted monopolist). We would promote open source. But now.. now you are attacking the very companies that make FOSS great.
go away shill! Google is a convicted unfair competitor, convicted patent infringer, copyright infringer and even paid bloggers (yes they had paid shills working for them!) to promote their web browser!
Microsoft is evil, Apple is evil, Oracle is evil, Facebook is evil and so is Google! The only reason there is a perception that they aren't is that they have the motto 'don't be evil' and morons like you lap that up and just ignore it when Google does wrong.
Protip: If you care about installed crap software, simply don't install said crap software in the first place.
I don't think anythink compels you to get every free/$0.99 app from Market or download and install whole CNet archive.
Who created all the fake anti-virus, system utilities, etc on PCs. I'd imagine that monetizing a virus on a phone would be similar, lock the device for ransom. These rackets are run by criminal organizations a lot more sophisticated then just a few programmers abusing local policies to lock a user out of their machine. Ransomware was lucrative at first on PCs and I'm sure phones with a large user base of technologically ignorant people who want to try their hands at piracy will be easy to swindle as well.
That's one hell of a Firehose mastery. Go check them timestamps on three first posts from new accounts here, then compare them to the article's timestamp, then compare poster's UIDs.
No directed effort (either shill or honest, non-for-profit troll, doesn't matter), just pure coincidence, I'm sure. Just like all the same-minute-page-long-troll-first-post fresh accounts with agenda before them.
Google's market is affectively malware-free, although the occasional software may pop up again in the future there because they don't have an extremely intrusive evaluation process. Maybe they, or someone else should create one.
Something like "Google Bouncer" ?
http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2012/02/android-and-security.html
Its been around since early 2011.
Of course, it only scans Google's own store. I'm still surprised at the number of people who aren't aware of it. I can understand why Google may not want to advertise it too much (such a system can never be perfect), but at the same time it is hurting them not to.
This seemed like a reasonable sig at the time.
I've made over $5K off a single live wallpaper.
That's nice.
How much have you made on iOS?
More, but it's really crude to bring up specifics.
As a consultant you can do pretty well in either space, but if you are trying to sell an app for money you are going to do better (much better) on iOS still. That's regardless of genre...
But my reaction was really platform neutral. You cannot simply "whip something up" as the OP seemed to imply, and get rich the way the guys with the exploits are getting rich off burgled CC details and the like.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
But the desktop has a mature anti-malware and anti-virus ecosystem and market. The android platform, not so much.
That's one hell of a Firehose mastery. Go check them timestamps on three first posts from new accounts here, then compare them to the article's timestamp, then compare poster's UIDs.
Idiots like you never cease to amaze me, notice how the article has the post time, not the submitter time and that comments aren't ever prior to the post time, like between the submission and post times? No? Didn't think so.
Oh and there are always plenty of examples of it in other stories too, like this one on the front page, but i guess you are only looking to make a case to link your conspiracy to microsoft so again facts and logic should be ignored, carry on.
Most people buy android phones, not because they care about walled gardens vs open systems. Most people buy android phones because they are cheaper. Such people don't read slashdot or geek news sites. They don't even know they got anything to be smart about. Add to that that people are not used to worry about such things when their phone is considered (unlike the PC, where everyone knows that you should have some kind of anti-virus software installed) and what you get is a great environment for malware to spread and flourish in.
Android phones are phones designed by geeks for geeks and sold to the average person who don't care as much about the tech and the platform. That is a design flaw that can be remedied by geeks repeating the mantra "it is unsafe because you are using it wrong".
It will be just like Windows. I recommend installing Common Sense 2012. Seriously, people need to start learning information street smarts so to speak. If they were walking home and some dude in a trench coat popped out and said "You're sick! Quick, bend over and let me give you this suppository!" would they listen to him? Every time someone throws up the "I'm not computer savvy" excuse card I want to punch them in the face. It's like wrecking your car and telling the mechanic "I don't know how to drive!" as an excuse.
Thanks, it's nice information,... to make my android protection.
I agree. Human behavior is a valid engineering problem, and reducing certain functionality to get around it for certain situations is a valid engineering tradeoff. A problem is a problem, keyboard and chair are irrelevant. Apple would rather deal with angry geeks who scream about freedom and openness and who like most geeks have no functional concept of engineering tradeoffs than have dimitri and olga kill somebody because they intentionally (or even worse, accidentally) disabled 911 access when they tried to pwn someone's Android device through the pirated copy of Hot Nude Bolshevik Solitaire the user downloaded from Leonid's Spice Dicey Back Alley Appstore.
Thanks. You showed me a new *useful* word... pebkac
I link it here as I did not know what it was. It refers to the problem existing between keyboard and chair.
So true.
the android hacks YOU.
That didn't make any sense.
android hacks YOU
Google's market is affectively malware-free, although the occasional software may pop up again in the future there because they don't have an extremely intrusive evaluation process.
I guess that depends on your definition of malware. There have been plenty of obvious malware detected so far. There's plenty of crap on the Google Market with excessive permissions that happily invades your privacy by doing things like uploading your contacts to a foreign website, or tracking your calling, texts, location and surfing habits.
A major problem is users not understanding how permissions work and clicking to install anyway. Adding to this is the inability to selectively deny or alter those permissions from within the Market. There are additional utilities out there that can configure the permissions or iptables, but the average user who blindly accepts the permissions doesn't have them.
Over the last 15 years Slashdot has told me that Windows' security is terrible and that's the reason why so many people have problems.
Now that a Linux-based OS has suddenly found itself the target of malware writers, suddenly Slashdot changes its tune.
Typical.
That's one hell of a Firehose mastery. Go check them timestamps on three first posts from new accounts here, then compare them to the article's timestamp, then compare poster's UIDs.
Holy crap, look this guy managed it too, wow he must be a shill!
I haven't seen any malware in the Android market, so I'm not sure what you're talking about. Even if there *WAS* any, it's not in there any more, since you know... it gets removed.
I sure hope you like pretending that the walled garden is any better, as pointed out by Charlie Miller's (getting malware past the gatekeepers, and getting over 10k+ installs).
In other news, I'm so damn sick of the phrase "walled garden".
That said, yes, there are a lot of anti-Google stories, far more than there are for those that are the most likely for funding them (FaceBook was caught before, but I think there are others as well). They will eventually be caught, and the vast majority of the population will ignore the news, just like the vast majority ignore the anti-Google stories and continue to fund pooly behaved companies based on trends, fashion, and advertising.
There aren't a "lot" of anti-Google stories, any more than would be expected given the news surrounding Google in the industry today. You're suffering from a cognitive bias in that you only remember the negative stories and ignore all the positive that get posted. And that is because you're emotionally attached to Google.
If you really believe that anti-Google stories are "funded" or that Facebook was "caught before" (if you think Slashdot's editors are in cahoots with Facebook, where is your proof and why the hell are you still posting here?), then you're a kook, plain and simple.
In fact, your post about evil companies funding anti-Google stories sounds an awful lot like all the anonymous posts we keep seeing ranting about shills, so maybe you've outed yourself there.
Problem is, people want phones - something they can pick up and play with immediately. Not think about it nor have antivirus/antispyware software installed and running as well like their PCs.
Plus, with all the coolness surrounding apps, you have the Dancing Pigs problem - people just want to go to the app store or market, click download and get going on that cool app. It's why sites all have direct links to the stores, or QR codes to scan - to get that app in the user's hands ASAP. As a result, they're not going to look at stuff like permission lists and such because that's just getting in the way of running the app.
Hell, ICS made it even easier to install apps without seeing the permission list - tap install and it takes you to the permission screen, but the install button is near the top and the permissions at the bottom. Users are more likely to just tap "download" rather than pull their eyes down and over the permission list.
Of course, the other thing is, Android makes it easy to sideload apps, so people love searching Bittorrent for new apps...
You're one of today's lucky 10000: http://xkcd.com/1053/
Move Sig. For great justice.
> Just get an iPhone or Windows Phone 7 and be done with it
just get a Nokia 1208 or some other dump monochrome cellphone with good old keyboard
The issue is Android's permission system is all technical wonkery and doesn't map well onto actual human use cases.
For example, you could have a perfectly legit app which needs Internet access (why not?), and address book access (for sharing functions), but you still have no idea if they could/would sell upload your contacts and sell them to spammers. Not to mention all Android apps ask you for these permissions, even Google's apps.
Android permissions is what you get when you ask computer scientists to solve what is essentially a legal and 'trust' problem that requires some human judgement. This is a very difficult problem to solve, but "users don't understand permissions" is not really the problem.
Business. Numbers. Money. People. Computer World.
it's an apt phrase, so get over it or think of a better thing to call it. in the case of iOS "fortified dung" might work.
So do we really want Linux to become the major operating system for the desktop given what is happening in a different place where it has become dominant. In evolutionary terms, all extraordinarily successful types of creature come from the fringe of a core group, move somewhere else, and then return (or not). We tend to look at Linux as a creature alone but it stands at the branch of a tree that started with Mulics in 1964. We are the inheritors and the guardians of this gift.
I said - don't look Ethel!..., but it was too late..., she'd already looked.
Well, I should now say that it all boils down to education. I see people having classes in IT which usually means to learn how to handle Microsoft Word and Excel, after they teach how to use Teh Internet. Instead of indoctrinating specific business solutions to people, education should focus on matters of: * Data organisation, protection, privacy * Finding the best tool for the job, whatever that would be. * Running ONLY trusted software on the computer. This could range from certified, and community verified software if there's no other choice, to those with community reviewed source code (Like FLOSS). * Communication: Understand the complete workings of email systems, chat, and social networks. These things, perhaps wrapped in to the age-specific constrains and theme, should be at the heart of IT education. There's a shit load of users out there, and they are fearfully ignorant, thus really dangerous. At least in regards of themselves.
Alright, but you see, you can turn that off on any system. See, people jailbreak their iPhones too. I have no experience with WP but there must be a way. My point is, the malware problem actually goes deeper than these shallow observations.
Companies, like Apple, Google, Microsoft have their spyware already in place, and most of the people don't bother at all. So what difference does it make, if you let other people spy on you?
It is about the mindset of the user. Walled garden is the worst solution to this problem because while you leaving behind the "wild-west" of untrusted sources of software, in practice you just give the control of your device over to an other profit-driven company.
Instead, we should "empower" the user with the knowledge and control over their devices and the rest is their making. If someone is stupid enough to download whatever application is offered, they will learn on the hard way.
True, but unfortunately the response to the Dancing Pigs problem is to leave the security issues to "expert companies" and thus putting the "technologically ignorant user" to trust in a company which has one and only goal: make the user a life-long consumer (not a customer!) and stuffing them whatever shit they make. The Dancing Pig problem also true for operating systems which is not the making of some shady black hat socio-paths but Trusted Companies with CEOs in suits. I desperately lobby for pushing the IT education to the level of an experienced user. People are using digital devices all the time, for years now, and seemingly have not evolved as users. And anything you want to teach them, they dismiss because it takes some focus. We must start at age 5 minimum to catch the attentions.
The android problem has nothing to do with the fact the kernel is Linux. Linux based operating systems are tend to be secure because there's a community maintained software repository accompanied to them. Most of the software can be review by anybody because the source code is available. Also, you are completely in charge of your computer if you're choosing the right distro. Android is partially open only, and Google Play don't have the same approval mechanism like the Debian's repository. Once we get some Debian alike distro on our mobiles, we can say that we have a secure operating system on our mobile devices.
Can't we get both? I mean, freedom to have complete control over our devices and only trusted applications running on it? For me it sounds like it was the same problem: Apple is not a trusted company. Neither is. But me, as a geek, I'm trusted already by my friends and family to fix their fucked up devices. So for the same reason, the software I use, should be trusted by them. Can't we build repositories based on trusted social connections, rather than profit-driven business entities?
Don't some big party apps from Amazon require this setting to be turned off?
Apple is unlikely to root your bank account without your permission.
Uh...okay, I'll go first. Who is going to pay for these repositories and why should they do that? Who is going to vet the apps on them? Who is going to do system maintenance to preserve their virginal bunny world? Who is going to clean them up when something naughty gets loose? Who is going to receive a sueball when an app turns out to be Satan's New and Improved Bank Crank? Who is going to pay the lawyers to handle the sueball?
Are you really from this planet?
I'm starting to love Russia. Where can I signup? Anyone got a link?
No, but they are likely to give away your credit card details for no apparent reason.
In my case, it was the opposite - they gave me someone else's credit card details. I logged into my iTunes account once and discovered a credit card listed there, despite never having entered any details. Card number, cardholder's name, expiry and CCV, all there for me to read and, if I was morally bankrupt, exploit.
If it was a Union Official, I'd have to have ordered a few hookers with his card. >:)
Probably not, but they could sell the information about your user habits just as easily. They can mess with your device, deleting content, forcing content, tracking you without your consent.
It's a(n?) euphemism for monopolist aspirations.
After seeing all these virus and malware problems with Android, who wants to use it anymore? You cannot even download from their app store without getting infected! Just get an iPhone or Windows Phone 7 and be done with it. At least Apple and Microsoft knows something about security.
I'd mod you down if I could. IOS and OSX have malware, too.
I those parts it is almost impossible for young men and women to start a legitimate business.
A start up is to pay up to 135 types of taxes. Regulations change almost daily. One needs an army of accountants and lawyers just to think of starting operations.
Yes and no. I think you are quite right in that they have a bit too much engineering in the solutions and not enough "human." But they do think through some of it quite a bit more than one might guess from a glance. For example, the INTERNET permission is something that was made intentionally broad in scope. Additionally any app can send an HTTP get or post request via the browser (no permission needed). These two things were done intentionally to not cripple apps right out of the gate. If they had made it more restrictive, there would be complaints about how the phone is constantly asking if I want to deny/allow stuff (like those Mac v PC commercials). /my $0.99
PocketPermissions Android Permission Guide
No, Debian doesn't prevent people from installing pirated Valve games from some *.RU server. (Just like Android users.) Put enough people on Linux, and they will find a way to get malware infections. This is a human problem, not technology.
A new account for karma whoring, eh bonch?
Probably, yeah. Another sockpuppet account to score some easy karma and mod points.
--Jeremy
Jesus was a liberal
Uh...okay, I'll go first. Who is going to pay for these repositories and why should they do that? Who is going to vet the apps on them? Who is going to do system maintenance to preserve their virginal bunny world? Who is going to clean them up when something naughty gets loose? Who is going to receive a sueball when an app turns out to be Satan's New and Improved Bank Crank? Who is going to pay the lawyers to handle the sueball?
Are you really from this planet?
Hmm, interesting. Are you talking about Android or Linux in general? I only ask because seriously your entire post sounds *exactly* like the sort of thing Linux distro repositories have been doing for decades without issue. No reason Android can't be different.
I agree.
The one permission that most people misunderstand is READ_PHONE_STATE, which is usually explained as the app wants to know if the phone is off-hook. It also happens to give the app the ability to see the phone numbers you're talking to, the IMEI unique identifier, etc. If your friend, who loves Chia-Pets calls you, your ads might suddenly start showing Chia-Pets.
This is a tough one, because you still have to trust the app, and if the app is targeted for Android 1.5 it will always request these permissions for compatibility reasons. Denying this permission seems to break most apps.
lol
"So do we really want Linux to become the major operating system for the desktop given what is happening in a different place where it has become dominant." - by Sussurros (2457406) on Friday May 18, @03:26AM (#40038573)
Android, a Linux variant, is being "torn up" on the security front for YEARS now!
Thus - proving ANDROID linux too, just like Windows (via it's dominance on the PC Desktop + Server arena combined), will be attacked & taken advantage of, once it too gains "top spot" marketshare/mindshare on ANY given computing platform... which on smartphones, ANDROID is "king" on that account (as well as for malware/exploits, etc./et al).
I've been stating for YEARS here in particular (amidst the "Linux = Secure & Windows != Secure" b.s. that was spread here for YEARS), that once a Linux gains top most used status on any computing platform, it would be burned "left & right" just as Windows has been on PCs!
"Lo & Behold" - this too has come to pass... no big surprise though - malware makers are JUST LIKE PICKPOCKETS, & go where the MOST "unsuspecting" noobz are (that's Windows on PC's & ANDROID Linux on smartphones) & attack them... which makes a LOT OF SENSE from their perspective: More "easy meat" targets to get "$" from!
Just like how pickpockets go to where the crowds of victims are for them (malls, city streets, bus & train stations etc.), they go after the top most used OS on any given computing platform... better "ROI" for their efforts expended on making a malware.
A portent of "additional things to come" too? Ok, take a read from 2011-2012:
2012:
Medicaid hack update: 500,000 records and 280,000 SSNs stolen:
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/security/medicaid-hack-update-500000-records-and-280000-ssns-stolen/11444
So, what's dts.utah.gov running everyone?
LINUX (and yes, it got HACKED) -> http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=dts.utah.gov
What's health.utah.gov running too??
YOU GUESSED IT: LINUX AGAIN -> http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=health.utah.gov
* Ah, yes - see the YEARS OF /. "BS" FUD is CRUMBLING AROUND THE PENGUINS EARS HERE & 2012's starting out just like 2011 did below!
===
2011:
KERNEL.ORG COMPROMISED - The Cracking of Kernel.org: (that's VERY bad - do you trust it now?)
http://linux.slashdot.org/story/11/08/31/2321232/Kernelorg-Compromised
---
Linux.com pwned in fresh round of cyber break-ins:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2011/09/12/more_linux_sites_down/
---
Mysql.com Hacked, Made To Serve Malware:
http://it.slashdot.org/story/11/09/26/2218238/mysqlcom-hacked-made-to-serve-malware
What's that site running? You guessed it - Linux -> http://uptime.netcraft.com/up/graph?site=mysql.com
---
London Stock Exchange serving malware:
http://slashdot.org/submission/1484548/London-Stock-Exchange-Web-Site-Serving-Malware
(I mean hey - NOT ONLY DID LINUX FALL FLAT ON ITS FACE less than a few minutes into the job http://linux.slashdot.org/story/11/02/19/0147232/London-Stock-Exchange-Price-Erro