A virus infecting mobile phones using Google’s Android operating system has emerged in China that can allow a hacker to gain access to personal data.
Lookout Mobile Security reports the new Trojan affecting Android devices has been dubbed “Geinimi” and “can compromise a significant amount of personal data on a user?s phone and send it to remote servers.” According to Lookout Mobile Security, the only users likely to be affected are those downloading Android apps from China.
The infected apps included Monkey Jump 2, Sex Positions, President vs. Aliens, City Defense and Baseball Superstars 2010. According to Lookout Mobile Security, original versions of these games accessed from the official Google Android Market were not affected.
“It is important to remember that even though there are instances of the games repackaged with the Trojan, the original versions available in the official Google Android Market have not been affected.”
— Lookout Mobile Security
The firm called the Geinimi virus “the most sophisticated Android malware we’ve seen to date.”
“Once the malware is installed on a user’s phone, it has the potential to receive commands from a remote server that allow the owner of that server to control the phone,” Lookout said.
“Geinimi’s author(s) have raised the sophistication bar significantly over and above previously observed Android malware by employing techniques to obfuscate its activities.”
The motive for the virus was not clear, accoring the Lookout, which added that this could be used for anything from “a malicious ad-network to an attempt to create an Android botnet.”
More info …
Lookout Mobile Security Blog Security Alert: Geinimi, Sophisticated New Android Trojan Found in Wild
Mobile Lookout Security — mylookout.com