Infected Apps Found in Google's Android Market
Your favorite Android app might not love you as much as you love it.
More than 50 apps, all free, in the official Android Market have been found to harbor a rogue piece of software called DroidDream. It's a Trojan that can steal your phone’s sensitive data and download malicious code to the phone from remote servers, researchers at the security firm Kaspersky Lab reported.
The long list of dangerous apps includes Spider Man, Super Guitar Solo, Basketball Shot Now, Falling Down, Bowling Time and Super History Eraser, according to Symantec.
Until now, all the infected Android apps found so far had come from "off-road" sources, often websites selling pirated software. The easiest way for a user to avoid infection was to disable the installation of apps from any source other than the Android Market. That's no longer the case.
DroidDream is particularly vicious. In addition to gathering a phone’s identifying information — the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) and International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) — it can break out of the Android Sandbox, a security feature that quarantines mobile malware from spreading throughout the device.
This means the phone is capable of accessing and downloading more malicious code without the user’s knowledge.
“There’s no way to know what the app does after it’s installed, and the possibilities are nearly endless,” Aaron Gingrich of the Android security blog Android Police wrote.
Google removed the dangerous Android apps from the Android market, but researchers say that as many as 200,000 downloads occurred before they could be taken out.
Android users are urged to pay close attention to which permissions each app asks for when it’s installing, and to immediately remove any of the infected apps included in this list, provided by Symantec. (Safe versions of some of the same apps may still be available from other publishers.)
The bad apps:
Publisher: kingmall2010
Apps:
- 掷骰子 Version 2.4.1
- 多彩绘画 Version 1.2
- Advanced App to SD Version 1.0.1
- Magic Strobe Light Version 1.0.1
- Advanced Compass Leveler Version 1.1.1
- Super Stopwatch & Timer Version 4.3
- Sexy Legs Version 1.0.01
- Sexy Girls: Japanese Version 1.0
- Bowling Time Version 1.8
- 软件强力卸载 Version 4.2
- Music Box Version 2.5
- Best password safe Version 1.0.5
- 墨水坦克Panzer Panic Version 1.0.0
- 裸奔先生Mr. Runner Version 1.0
- Hot Sexy Girls Version 1.0
- Super sex sound Version 1.3
- 致命绝色美腿 Version 1.0.01
- Super Bluetooth Transfer Version 2.30.1
- Advanced File Manager Version 1.1.0
- Advanced Barcode Scanner Version 1.0.1
- Task Killer Pro Version 1.0.1
Publisher: myournet
Apps:
- Spider Man Version 1.29
- 蜘蛛侠 Version 1.29
- Funny Paint Version 1.2
- Dice Roller Version 2.4.1
- 躲避弹球 Version 2.0.9
- Falling Ball Dodge Version 2.0.9
- Photo Editor Version 3.1.1
- Chess Version 2.6.1
- APP Uninstaller Version 1.6.0
- 几何战机_PewPew Version 1.5.3
- 下坠滚球_Falldown Version 1.0
- Falling Down Version 1.0
- Screaming Sexy Japanese Girls Version 1.0
- Hot Sexy Videos Version 0.1.10
- Super History Eraser Version 1.0.1
- Super Ringtone Maker Version 1.0.1
- Hilton Sex Sound Version 2.1.1
- Scientific Calculator Version 1.4.2
- Super Guitar Solo Version 1.0.1
- Super Sex Positions Version 1.0
- Advanced Currency Converter Version 1.0.1
Publisher: we20090202
Apps:
- Basketball Shot Now Version 1.4.0
- Omok - Five in a Row Version 3.1.1
- Super Sexy Ringtones Version 3.1.4
- 手指赛跑 Finger Race Version 1.4.5
- Magic Hypnotic Spiral Version 2.0.0
- Quick Notes Version 2.1.1
- 投篮高手 Version 1.4.0
- Quick Delete Contacts Version 1.0
- Advanced Sound Manager Version 2.0.0
- Color Blindness Test Version 2.1.1
