HTC Android Phones Found with Malware Pre-Installed

[DaveSW]

Security researchers have found that Vodafone, one of the world's larger wireless providers, is distributing some HTC phones with malware pre-installed on them.

http://threatpost.com/en_us/blogs/htc-phones-pre-installed-mariposa-bot-client-030910


So much for the Android's "openness". This will never happen to the iPhone (or the chances are verrryy verryy small).

 

[ChazUK]

It's happened to Apple before.
http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2006/10/ipod-ships-with-virus.html

 

[macfan881]

It's happened to Apple before.
http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2006/10/ipod-ships-with-virus.html

yes but this is a phone which is much more worrisome esp for some one who stores personal information like email contacts etc.

 

[maflynn]

Unfortunately in this day and age, its all to possible to have something sneak in.

 

[ChazUK]

yes but this is a phone which is much more worrisome esp for some one who stores personal information like email contacts etc.

There is some discussion in another thread on the matter. Regardless, if an iPod or a phone contains a virus, it will not execute on the phone or iPod but will affect any unsecured computers it connects to.

From another thread here:
---

There are countless other articles about it all over the internet. http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?newsid=3214742&pagtype=allchandate

<snip>

----
Interesting read cmaier!

The malware programs were on the phone's 8GB microSD memory card, which mounts as an external drive when plugged into a PC, Bustamante said.

http://androidcommunity.com/vodafone-htc-magic-review-20090515/

In the box there’s the Magic itself, a 1,340mAh battery, 2GB microSD card, AC adapter, USB cable, wired stereo headset, hands-free adapter (for using your own 3.5mm headphones) and a leather-effect pouch.

Where did this 8GB Micro SD card come from?
http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobile-phone/htc-magic
From what I've seen the Magic ships with a 2GB Micro SD card but the virus was found on an 8GB Micro SD card. A little inconsistent to say the least.

 

[kdarling]

This has nothing to do with Android.

It has to do with someone getting a virus onto their memory card in disk mode and then returning it with the phone to the carrier to be used again.

The HTC Magic phone has been on the market for more than a year, so it's unlikely that the malware programs were installed at the factory. "It would have popped up earlier," Bustamante said.

What is more likely is that the phone was purchased by someone else, the microSD card became infected after the phone was plugged into an infected PC, and then the phone returned to Vodafone.

All it means is that the carrier didn't wipe the card before using it again. Very much like when people used to find someone else's data on refurb'd iPhones at first.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

This has nothing to do with Android.

It has to do with someone getting a virus onto their memory card in disk mode and then returning it with the phone to the carrier to be used again.



All it means is that the carrier didn't wipe the card before using it again. Very much like when people used to find someone else's data on refurb'd iPhones at first.

But but the truth and logic kills the entire story......

That is not allowed here on macrumors were lies and rumors bashing non apple products are the only way to go.

 

[kdarling]

But but the truth and logic kills the entire story......

Especially since it was JUST ONE PHONE.

Not the "Phones" in the title or quote that DaveSW put up. Perhaps the article was corrected after he copied it here?

 

[DaveSW]

Especially since it was JUST ONE PHONE.

Not the "Phones" in the title or quote that DaveSW put up. Perhaps the article was corrected after he copied it here?

if one phone could infect multiple computers and cause so much trouble then imagine thousands or millions of infected android phones.

 

[DaveSW]

This has nothing to do with Android.

It has to do with someone getting a virus onto their memory card in disk mode and then returning it with the phone to the carrier to be used again.



All it means is that the carrier didn't wipe the card before using it again. Very much like when people used to find someone else's data on refurb'd iPhones at first.

it was a brand new phone according to the article.

 

[FX120]

if one phone could infect multiple computers and cause so much trouble then imagine thousands or millions of infected android phones.

Right, but it's still not a flaw of the android OS. The virus didn't execute on the phone, it was just picked up by the memory card and sat there.

If this was a digital camera, would it be news?

 

[kdarling]

if one phone could infect multiple computers and cause so much trouble then imagine thousands or millions of infected android phones.

It was just one computer, caused no trouble, and was noticed right away by the antivirus software.

All the dramatic possibilities that were conjectured in the article were not actual events.

it was a brand new phone according to the article.

A single author often has an agenda. Read more stories to get a better view.

Other articles, such as this one from MacWorld, point out that it most likely was a returned or refurb'd unit.

In any case, it had nothing to do with Android. This kind of thing has happened before with memory cards, although usually it happens because the manufacturer used an infected PC to format the cards.

 

[yg17]

it was a brand new phone according to the article.

It wouldn't be the first time, and it won't be the last time that someone buys a product, doesn't like it, returns it and the retailer turns around and sells it as brand new.

Epic fail.

 

[ChazUK]

Any new Android generated viruses I should be made aware of today?
Don't want to fukup ma windoze!

 

[DaveSW]

Any new Android generated viruses I should be made aware of today?
Don't want to fukup ma windoze!

you may already have it. check your Android phone.

Antivirus App For Android

http://gizmodo.com/5078158/oh-thank-goodness-someone-made-an-antivirus-app-for-android


yuck. an anti-virus for Android Phones?



Android: The new Windows?

 

[DaveSW]

the FACT that someone created an Anti-Virus App for Android Phones is absolutely hilarious and says a lot about Android.

 

[Rodimus Prime]

the FACT that someone created an Anti-Virus App for Android Phones is absolutely hilarious and says a lot about Android.

Yet if you took the time to read it. What it protects against is the same viruses that the iPhone can and would spread. The "viruses/malware" are resting in the flash memory and will edit the autoplay file on it which in turn loads up the malware. the iPhone has flash memory section can can be accessed like a flash drive on a computer.

The AV software is effectually protecting the Android from spreading in malware that any flash memory would spread.

The iPhone can spread that malware part of the phones memory can be accessed like any flash drives memory can.

Damn simple logic beats the fanboy again.

 

[roadbloc]

the FACT that someone created an Anti-Virus App for Android Phones is absolutely hilarious and says a lot about Android.

Is this *LTD*'s second account?

 

[DaveSW]

Yet if you took the time to read it. What it protects against is the same viruses that the iPhone can and would spread. The "viruses/malware" are resting in the flash memory and will edit the autoplay file on it which in turn loads up the malware. the iPhone has flash memory section can can be accessed like a flash drive on a computer.

The AV software is effectually protecting the Android from spreading in malware that any flash memory would spread.

The iPhone can spread that malware part of the phones memory can be accessed like any flash drives memory can.

Damn simple logic beats the fanboy again.

Things like these are more likely to happen on Android phones than on the iPhone due to the "open" nature of Android.


with the good comes the bad is all i'm saying

 

[Rodimus Prime]

Things like these are more likely to happen on Android phones than on the iPhone due to the "open" nature of Android.


with the good comes the bad is all i'm saying

Ummm what you are saying is standard Apple good everything else sucks.

I pointed out that the "viruses" it protects against are the same ones that can be spread by the iPhone and the iPhone offers ZERO protection from it. Hell on the JB iPhones viruses are already out in the wild on it.

 

[DaveSW]

Ummm what you are saying is standard Apple good everything else sucks.

Well...it's true

 

[yg17]

Things like these are more likely to happen on Android phones than on the iPhone due to the "open" nature of Android.


with the good comes the bad is all i'm saying

I'll take the open platform with the risks.

 

[roadbloc]

Well...it's true

Yep. That's *LTD* allright. Or perhaps it is his son....

 

[LeviG]

Doesn't look like it's been mentioned and just in case anyone is interested.

The virus was on the SD card not the phone itself, android allows sd cards to be seen like a removable drive so obviously confused the antivirus expert until he eventually updated his post in the comments

Mind you it did get some additional page hits to his/their blog and free advertising for their antivirus software

 

[FX120]

Things like these are more likely to happen on Android phones than on the iPhone due to the "open" nature of Android.


with the good comes the bad is all i'm saying

Which is why Linux users are fighting off viruses and malware left and right...