At Least 50 Android Apps Infected With “DroidDream” Malware
Mon 07 Mar, 2011 // Chris Allan
It has been reported that over 50 applications on Google's Android Market have been infected with malware called "DroidDream". The rootkit malware is capable of accessing the personal data of the user by taking over the user's device.
The applications have been identified and excluded from the Market store. However, it gives rise to a new wave of concern surrounding smartphone vulnerability, which is highlighted by the low level of investment required to become an application publisher with Android. The $25 entry fee to publish your application allows malware writers and spammers to create new developers’ accounts with relatively little expense.
According to Ina Fried of AllThingsDigital, the threat of mobile malware is moving from “the realm of the theoretical to the actual.” The smartphone and wireless device commentator spoke of the increasing complexity and immediacy of the latest malware infiltration. Fried said:
The latest attack, known as “Droid Dream,” managed to take it a step further and resulted in infected apps making their way into Google’s official Android Market… Although Google managed to expunge the 50 or so affected apps within minutes of learning of their presence in the store, the fact they made it that far indicates the game is changing.
The malware is believed to have affected circa 200,000 users, and was first discovered by a Reddit user, whose vigilance paid off when he noticed the app developer of one of the corrupted apps was also posting pirate versions of other legitimate applications elsewhere on the net.
With the growing proliferation and complexity of mobile phone technology, it is becoming increasingly attractive for hackers and spammers. The almost comprehensive nature of smartphones today, with which one can perform most of the major tasks previously associated solely with the PC, has made it far easier and logical for cyber criminals to focus their attention on the new mobile market.
As such, mobile security software has become a hot topic, with many commentators referring to the “open” platform of Android software - as opposed to the “closed” Apple equivalent – as a key issue in any Android vulnerability discourse.
In addition to the “openness” of the Android application platform, the availability of alternative app developments has also been pin-pointed as a possible flaw in the system, allowing malware writers a greater level of access
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