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Android Botnet Infects 1 Million Plus Phones
Trailrunner7 writes "Up to a million Android users in China could be part of a large mobile botnet, according to research unveiled by Kingsoft Security, a Hong Kong-based security company, this week. The botnet has spread across phones running the Android operating system via Android.Troj.mdk, a Trojan that researchers said exists in upwards of 7,000 applications available from non-Google app marketplaces, including the popular Temple Run and Fishing Joy games."
Update: 01/19 12:54 GMT by S : Changed summary to reflect that these apps didn't come from Google Play.
And excellent wording for FUD... after all "up to 1 million aliens *could* be controlling the worlds governments"
You have 5 Moderator Points!
Which Helpless Linux zealot/MS basher do you want to mod down today?
http://www.zdnet.com/new-android-malware-infects-100000-chinese-smartphones-7000000497/
Not in Google Play at all.
Thank you! These 7000 plus apps were 3rd party apps that were not downloaded from Google Play.
Doesn't that imply that if Google-Play/Android was a walled garden like iPhone/iTunes this would not have happened?
Um, no.
Just because China Mobile's (cr)app store isn't doing its job doesn't mean Google should become as draconian as Apple in this regard. People have a choice, and if they are willing to download from a poorly regulated source, and are willing to endure infections just so they don't have to pay for their apps, that's their business. I certainly hope their data plans are unlimited.
You did not answer the question about walled gardens. In fact, you gave a hint that the absence of a walled garden *did* exacerbate the problem.
Probably does. The price of freedom is that people are free to install malware.
Title: 1 Million+
First line of summary: Up to a million
Yes, standard /. fare lately. Not only is it meaningless (and thus not nerdy - the details are more important than the big picture to a nerd), but the editors contradict themselves and come across as both careless and ignorant.
The price of Apple's walled garden is that they get to define what is malware. (So far, things like apps to teach children how to program, games that are too 'political', porn, Android magazines, etc). I'll take my chances, thanks.
Can I as the original commenter take part in this second-guessing of my implied message?
I did not say "this only happened because the affected Android users did not limit themselves to the Google store" at all as you claim -- pretty bold of you to just say that when my message is clearly visible above... Also, nothing in my post was meant to "imply the criticism that if they had remained in the Google fold their phones would not have been affected" (in fact I don't even have a clear opinion on whether the open model or the Apple 'closed garden' model is better).
My only criticism was aimed at the shoddy reporting: It included a pretty big factual mistake. Mistakes sometimes happen, but this one made the story so unbelievable that it's hard to understand how both the article author and the submitter failed to apply some common sense and re-check the source.