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Over 60% of Android Malware Hides In Fake Versions of Popular Apps
An anonymous reader writes "Like any popular platform, Android has malware. Google's mobile operating system is relatively new, however, so the problem is still taking form. In fact, it turns out that the larger majority of threats on Android come from a single malware family: Android.FakeInstaller, also known as OpFake, which generates revenue by silently sending expensive text messages in the background. McAfee says that the malware family makes up more than 60 percent of Android samples the company processes."
Meh...
If you are not smart enough to install non-market Android apps, you have no problem.
If you are smart enough to install non-market Android apps, you know what you are getting into.
With great power comes great responsibility. I think these pieces keep surfacing because the Anti-Virus companies desperately need to get into this market. They see it is the future and they want a piece of it.
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So in essence this article is a nearly-worthless scare piece. Unless you're downloading "pirated" versions of (presumably) commercial apps from a shady source, this article isn't relevant. But then, it's a McAfee article, so surprise.
Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage
And there is less crime we we force everyone to never go out.
But, you enjoy your shiny toy and take whatever the deem you worthy of having.
The Kruger Dunning explains most post on
Technically, not a problem for Android users who stay in Google's walled garden either. Now, we can debate the merits of walled gardens but the article itself is just trying to gin up business for McAfee and citing running unknown sources as evidence of some malware problem when the issue is the user, not the system, since that is off by default.
Premium messaging services. Like those "text "joke" to 55555 for a joke of the day" ads on TV or donate-via-text things. The carrier pays them, and tacks that charge onto your bill.
upon the advice of my lawyer, i have no sig at this time
It's 2012 - most phones can connect to a mail server over 2G, 3G or wifi.
Why are we still messing around with a 140-character hack that belongs in the 1990s and which requires the recipient to be using a phone?
Just send an e-mail.
The malware sets the phone to use third party SMS gateways
Those gateways deliver the SMS message to the recipient's carrier, and bills that carrier for the service. You might be none the wiser, but your carrier is paying for that incoming message via bilateral agreements or "Hubbing".
Sig Battery depleted. Reverting to safe mode.
Premium messaging services. Like those "text "joke" to 55555 for a joke of the day" ads on TV or donate-via-text things. The carrier pays them, and tacks that charge onto your bill.
Hmm.. The malware dials a premium number, and the carrier charges you and sends the money to the holder of that premium number. If we could just track down who that is, we could find out just how much ill-gotten gains they've received. If there was just a way to identify them.
Rooting an iphone and installing apps from strange sources in Android are both like living in the ghetto. Using an unrooted iPhone is like living in a jail (mmm, I wonder where I got this analogy from.). Using Android and installing apps only from Play Store, Amazon store, and app you write/your friends write, is the real equivalent to living in a decent neighborhood.
And you can block these too. Call your carrier and ask from them to disable Third Party Billing. I know AT&T and Verizon do it for you, when you ask. No more "premium sms charges", no more "premium sex line charges"