"SMSZombie" Malware Infects 500,000 Android Users In China 116
wiredmikey writes "Researchers have recently discovered a new sophisticated and resilient mobile threat targeting Android phones that is said to have infected about 500,000 devices, mainly in China. Called 'SMSZombie,' the malware is stubborn and hard to remove, but users outside of China have little to worry about with this latest discovery. The prime function of the mobile malware is to exploit a vulnerability in the mobile payment system used by China Mobile, making it of little value to the fraudsters outside of China. The malware takes advantage of a vulnerability in the China Mobile SMS Payment process to generate unauthorized payments to premium service providers, and can also remotely control the infected device. It has been spread via wallpaper apps that sport provocative titles and nude photos, and can only be removed using a lengthy process beyond the skills of a typical android user."
Re:Obvious scam (Score:2, Informative)
You would be surprised how easy it would be to get stung by this by an average user [1].
A couple months ago, I was browsing for a couple games. Looked at the game, and it demanded every right under the sun. Of course, it didn't get the second install click.
However, it was a game with an icon that was the logo for a popular game show, so it looked "legit" enough to a user. Most Android users are not the top tier IT people who know exactly what an app should and should not be doing. They tend to see an app, tap it, and go from there.
Most users actually look at the number of stars and the number of downloads, and sometimes even read the reviews when the thing doesn't have a solid rating. Find me just one example of a WallPaper app, or a shady game, that hasn't been damaged in its star ratings and in its user reviews by having permissions that required access to the SMS functionality.
In addition to that, the Google Play store also looks at the ratings and the number of installs, when deciding to display search results, thus reducing the discoverability of such apps drastically.