Android Trojan Tells Contacts You're a Pirate

[exfileme]

A trojan is posing as an actual Android Market app that will spam the user's contact list with an embarrassing SMS.

Android Trojan Tells Contacts You're a Pirate : Read more

 

[lasaldude]

My friends would be like "Yeah?? So??? We already know you do that. You taught and showed us how to be free also!"

 

[osxsier]

lmao! Android is a joke right now...and Google is closing it further. But that is pretty funny...buy the app you cheap bastards!

 

[johnh2005]

That is absolutely brilliant. I am guessing that the makers of Walk and Text made this and distributed it to the torrent sites. Brilliant. Just Brilliant. I would get a heck of a laugh from this. I will make sure not to torrent it though as I do have quite a few contacts I would not want knowing that I sometimes go... YARR!!!!!

 

[garyshome]

iMAGINE THAT APP WRITERS WRITING TROJANS? Who would heve ever thoght? What is this world commong to?

 

[mdillenbeck]

Lets hope this isn't a bit of revenge by the developers. After all, writing a virus - even a well intentioned one meant to help enforce the law and embarrass lawbreakers - is still writing a virus. I believe many countries have legal codes about engaging in such activities. Additionally, there is an intent to cause financial harm by hoping they are not on an unlimited SMS plan.

 

[southernshark]

Android is full of fail, why anyone would buy one of those phones is beyond me.

 

[Anomalyx]

[citation][nom]southernshark[/nom]Android is full of fail, why anyone would buy one of those phones is beyond me.[/citation]
Because it is way more secure than iOS. Yes, you read that correctly. Look at the results of the most recent Pwn2Own event before you even think about replying to this.

Any platform can be compromised if you install malicious software on it, even the almighty Linux. This shouldn't take anything more than a grade-school education to understand. Just because you aren't smart enough to figure out that random pirated apps may be malicious doesn't mean that the rest of us should live in Apple's walled garden, being disallowed from installing anything they didn't approve.

Personally, I'd rather own a feature(less) phone with nothing more than a 10-key pad than own an iPhone. Then again, I buy a phone for functionality, not because "it makes me look cool".
Hint: iPhone doesn't really make you look cool, people just think it does.

 

[igot1forya]

Last I checked, Google leaves the option to install Non-Market apps up to the end user... why anyone would throw a hissy-fit over something that adds greater freedom is beyond me. Btw, the Market it's self is FULL of Trojans, but those apps serve you advertisements rather than virus'- thank goodness for the user feedback, else the Market would be a total loss.

I may be biased though, I love my Android device(s)

 

[ProDigit10]

android is linux based, and in my opinion should allow developers to develop open source apps, for free. I don't want to pay for an app, that once you buy it, does not seem to be what you needed it to be.

 

[mistert]

Android phones are great but this is not about my phone vs your phone. We will leave that to the playground.
Now that I have seen this article I would not install this app on my phone even if I bought if from the Marketplace. How could you trust the authors did not put some other unwanted code in the app. While I don't disagree with them trying to protect their work, I do disagree with their tactics which shows a tendency to deceive.

 

[milktea]

First off, someone or some developer needs to stand up and be the first to teach those unofficial app users a lesson. So +1 for Walkinwat dev.

Second, since the app was obtained illegally, the author is no longer liable for any damages done to the phone or to the user. There's no license to protect the app user in this case.

 

[christop]

arrrrgh I am a pirate good call mateee!!!

 

[MxM]

[citation][nom]milktea[/nom]First off, someone or some developer needs to stand up and be the first to teach those unofficial app users a lesson. So +1 for Walkinwat dev.Second, since the app was obtained illegally, the author is no longer liable for any damages done to the phone or to the user. There's no license to protect the app user in this case.[/citation]
Why is it illegally obtained app? Are you saying exactly the same app with exactly the same functionality (i.e. send those text messages) are on Android Market?

 

[Vampyrbyte]

[citation][nom]milktea[/nom]First off, someone or some developer needs to stand up and be the first to teach those unofficial app users a lesson. So +1 for Walkinwat dev.Second, since the app was obtained illegally, the author is no longer liable for any damages done to the phone or to the user. There's no license to protect the app user in this case.[/citation]

Seeing as this 'App' was designed, and presumably deliberately distributed by the means of a torrent. That is a legitimate way of obtaining it. The Authors are liable and have committed a crime by doing this. I hope they get their asses sued out of their pants so hard they can never shit themselves again.

 

[mikem_90]

o/^ Download what you want, 'cause the App is not free.. YOU ARE A PIRATE! o/^

 

[Guest]

At Vampire and MxM, while the trojan app is probably acquired legally due to it being distributed, those that get infected by it are doing so because they are attempting to obtain an illegal copy of a legitimate app. I agree with milktea, good job to the author.

 

[bv90andy]

A risky thing they did there... of course those devs will be the first under suspicion... and writing viruses, especially ones that use your network to send unwanted messages, is illegal.
On the other hand some hacker/ex-employee at that company may have deliberately done this to get them in trouble..

 

[irh_1974]

[citation][nom]Anomalyx[/nom]Hint: iPhone doesn't really make you look cool, people just think it does.[/citation]
And white headphones just shout "mug me"

 

[kinggraves]

I wonder how many of those people are going to get that text and say:
"Hey,,,can you show me how to pirate it too?"

One of the best successful anti piracy measures is actually ignorance. If people realized how easy it is to get things for free, they probably wouldn't be paying for them either.

Good work.