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Android Ransomware Threatens To Share Your Browsing History With Your Friends (symantec.com)

Posted by samzenpus on from the some-things-are-better-left-private dept.

An anonymous reader writes: The newly discovered Lockdroid ransomware is unique in two ways. First it uses perfectly overlaid popups to trick users into giving it admin privileges. This trick works on devices running Android versions prior to 5.0 (Lollipop), which means 67% of all Android smartphones. Secondly, after it encrypts files and asks for a ransom, it also steals the user's browsing history and contacts list, and blackmails the user to pay the ransom, or his browsing history will be forwarded to his contacts.

15 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. A good thing? by by+(1706743) · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Anything to force vendors to, you know, provide up-to-date software. Unfortunately, this probably won't have much of an effect...

    1. Re:A good thing? by sycodon · · Score: 2

      I was about to post a snarky comment on how some Slashdotter will defend this in some backhanded manner.

      Guess I was too slow.

      --
      When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
  2. Re:Confusing title? by xxxJonBoyxxx · · Score: 2

    >> Friends vs contacts? Why put up such a stupidly worded title?

    The article assumes that you are acting as a consumer on a personal PC, that many of your contacts are friends (as opposed to work colleagues), and that your personal browser history contains a lot of naughty stuff. Unfortunately, it also assumes that any of your contacts would do more than delete a lengthy message like this on sight; you probably don't have hundreds of "friends" who care THAT much about you. (e.g., Even if Hillary Clinton herself emailed me a list of her classified emails, my short attention span would still compel me to delete the message before reading it and go on to something shorter and more interesting in my inbox.)

  3. Stupid traps for stupid people by wardrich86 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    You still have to accept and side-load an application off of a sketchy site. Will people ever learn?

    Kudos to the app author, though. The technique is pretty interesting.

    1. Re:Stupid traps for stupid people by alvinrod · · Score: 4, Insightful
      Can you imagine of other news stories were written using the same type of alarmist approach that we see with technology?

      New report shows that toasters are extremely deadly!

      Researchers have found that the common household toaster is an exceptionally dangerous product. Users who intentionally went out of their way to remove key safety features of the appliance and then connect an extension cord to the device so that they can submerge in a tub full of water while standing in that tub were found to suffer grievous bodily harm.

      . . .

      I can understand that is generates clicks, but we'd be better of spending time writing about why you shouldn't visit dodgy sites and install third party applications unless you know what you're doing and provide some examples of what these malicious programs might look like or how they might try to trick you. That would be far more useful to the average consumer.

  4. Only affects users who sideload by tlhIngan · · Score: 5, Informative

    If you stick with Google Play, you're safe from this.

    It is only a problem if you side load apps from untrusted sources.

  5. Dear friends and family... by pla · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Dear friends and family... I look at porn. So do you. Deal with it.

    Blackmail me now, suckah!

    1. Re:Dear friends and family... by CQDX · · Score: 5, Funny

      Bet your boyfriend does... check your email

  6. Stupid people. by truck_soccer · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Stupid people make stupid choices and get pwned. Details at 11.

  7. And bore my family and friends? by BrianBeaudoin · · Score: 2

    Those animals!

  8. Re:This is why I have an iphone by Coren22 · · Score: 2

    Says the Apple fan-boy acting like Apple has never had a single exploit.

    --
    APK likes to ask for responses to the same things over and over. Maybe he just likes the responses?
  9. Re:Incognito Mode by fph+il+quozientatore · · Score: 2

    I wonder if there is a Pavlov effect tied to it by now --- do many people nowadays get aroused at the mere sight of the Chrome Incognito Mode starting window?

    --
    My first program:

    Hell Segmentation fault

  10. Re:Sideloaded by farble1670 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    that's fine, but the point is that if you backdoor install shady apps, c'est la vie. the good: you are passing around pirated apps that you don't have to pay for, and your phone was cheaper because it doesn't license google play services. the bad: malware.

  11. My boss once got a virus that emailed porn links by tandavanadesan · · Score: 5, Interesting

    My boss once got a virus that emailed porn links to ask his contacts. When he realised what had happened he sent out an aplology, but said he was surprised at how many responseshe got before that said "thanks", " that's s good one", or returned the favour by sending porn links of their own.

  12. MGLP! by jandersen · · Score: 2

    Oh Ghod, this is terribly! Just imagine what would happen to my nerd-creds if it was widely known that I don't watch any porn to speak of, that I sometimes approve of government control, when I feel it makes sense, and I'm not all that keen on having the latest, bleeding edge gadgets?