Google Pulls 21 Malware-Infected Android Apps

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The good news is that Google pulled 21 malware-infected apps from the Android Market. The bad news is that Google had to pull 21 malware-infected apps. :(

While Google likes to brag about how open Android is, the platform has become an increasingly open target for malware writers. Indeed, Google's openness paved the way for malware writers to target apps in the Android Market, and Google has now had to resort to pulling 21 infected apps. Google has confirmed the issue and said the apps contain malware that works to gain root access to a victim's smartphone so it can snoop data and download additional code onto the handset -- all without the user ever noticing.
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Hrmm more than 50% have the word "Sexy" in the title lol. I think the best app is "Best Password Safe"
 
Funny how this thread gets 5 responses, yet the iPad 2 post gets 5 pages worth. If it's mine I'm ignorant... if it's yours it's shit. Ah the hypocrisy!
 
CrazyCuz2k said:
Funny how this thread gets 5 responses, yet the iPad 2 post gets 5 pages worth. If it's mine I'm ignorant... if it's yours it's shit. Ah the hypocrisy!
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Nah, everyone here is just busy checking their phones to make sure they didn't download any on the list.
 
Are the AV vendors going to jump in especially Symantec with their superior we know security better the Micro..., erm I mean anyone, stance?
 
Ha, most of these apps are obviously bad. Most of them are spelled wrong too.
 
So, are we still criticizing Apple for keeping such tight control over its App Store, or are we beginning to see the point of doing that?
 
android market place is just as tough and mysterious, and both platforms do have kill switches as well.

but this is a bigger kick in the face to google because they let them through
 
I pretty much equate the people who downloaded these on their Droids to those who download these kinds of things on their home PC.
 
evilsofa said:
So, are we still criticizing Apple for keeping such tight control over its App Store, or are we beginning to see the point of doing that?
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Like Apple? Not a snowballs chance in hell. However, many have been calling for some type of vetting process for the Android Market for a while now. It doesn't have to be as iron fist as Apple but something simple would have prevented this.
 
So, are we still criticizing Apple for keeping such tight control over its App Store, or are we beginning to see the point of doing that?
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There's a difference between screening for malware and banning apps for things like "duplicating built-in functionality" or being "made with a banned SDK." As long as Apple does those things, you can be damned sure that they're going to be criticized for controlling the App Store(TM the way they do.
 
Eulogy said:
I pretty much equate the people who downloaded these on their Droids to those who download these kinds of things on their home PC.
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Precisely. It doesn't matter how tight-knit your security is, as long as it does nothing to thwart human stupidity.

evilsofa said:
So, are we still criticizing Apple for keeping such tight control over its App Store, or are we beginning to see the point of doing that?
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How can your slogan be "think different" when you limit what "different" is?

I would be willing to still say nay to Apple's tight control. You're going to have malicious software anywhere and everywhere with today's tech. For every single good intentioned person you can find, there's at least 2 more malicious dickheads out there looking to score a gold mine of information they can make pure profit on by getting it illegitimately. There's nothing you can do about it except try to catch it before it gets into anyone's hands. The fact that malware has made it past even Apple's approval process is proof that not everything gets caught on their end either. This is just my opinion, but if jailbreaking the iPhone is as simple as visiting a website, how can anyone say that security is Apple's highest priority when it comes to the iPhone? It's clearly not, but I've heard it being stated as being among the reasons for the approval process.

I did not pay for a smartphone to be told what to do. If I own a smartphone I should be smart enough to know what I'm putting on it before I install it. If I don't, then the only person to blame is on me for being a careless dumb-ass. I do not need to be told what I can and can't have. I don't need someone to hold my hand and approve what I do with something I bought and paid for with my own money. What am I, a five year old? Again, my opinion: if you can't be bothered to pay attention to what you're doing with something that set you back more than $100, you frankly don't deserve it in the first place. You have a wonderful bleeding edge piece of tech in your hands. The least you could do, is try not to fuck it up.
 
SamuraiInBlack said:
Precisely. It doesn't matter how tight-knit your security is, as long as it does nothing to thwart human stupidity.



How can your slogan be "think different" when you limit what "different" is?

I would be willing to still say nay to Apple's tight control. You're going to have malicious software anywhere and everywhere with today's tech. For every single good intentioned person you can find, there's at least 2 more malicious dickheads out there looking to score a gold mine of information they can make pure profit on by getting it illegitimately. There's nothing you can do about it except try to catch it before it gets into anyone's hands. The fact that malware has made it past even Apple's approval process is proof that not everything gets caught on their end either. This is just my opinion, but if jailbreaking the iPhone is as simple as visiting a website, how can anyone say that security is Apple's highest priority when it comes to the iPhone? It's clearly not, but I've heard it being stated as being among the reasons for the approval process.

I did not pay for a smartphone to be told what to do. If I own a smartphone I should be smart enough to know what I'm putting on it before I install it. If I don't, then the only person to blame is on me for being a careless dumb-ass. I do not need to be told what I can and can't have. I don't need someone to hold my hand and approve what I do with something I bought and paid for with my own money. What am I, a five year old? Again, my opinion: if you can't be bothered to pay attention to what you're doing with something that set you back more than $100, you frankly don't deserve it in the first place. You have a wonderful bleeding edge piece of tech in your hands. The least you could do, is try not to fuck it up.
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Its all cuz of them damn liberals in Washington
 
"We should point out that this vulnerability was patched with Gingerbread, meaning any device running Android 2.3+ should be fine," Aaron Gingrich of the Android Police, wrote in a blog post. "The hole was fixed by Google, but it's relatively useless since many phones aren't yet running a version of Android that is protected."
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The problem is that handset manufacturers use new versions of Android as a sales pitch to make people buy their latest phone. Handsets that are perfectly capable of running 2.3 hardware-wise, are stuck at 1.6 because the newer versions are reserved for the "latest" phones (with exactly the same CPU, GPU and RAM specs). Besides, with a simple 1-click rooting procedure and a <100MB download, almost any phone can be updated to 2.2 or 2.3 today.

Google should make it mandatory for manufacturers to support old handsets for x number of years. These incremental updates include security fixes, patches and performance improvements that are required to safely and reliably use the phone as intended. It's kind of like WIndows Update. Imagine if Dell forced you to buy a new PC in order to install Win7 SP1. This is exactly the same thing.

I appreciate that handset manufacturers want to find ways to differentiate new phones from older ones, but they'll simply have to find other ways. If nothing is done, this fragmentation of the Android platform is going to get worse and worse until it kills the platform completely.
 
Here's the list (thanks to whomever posted and asked above, I want the info quick, not through 3 links :p)

so here's the list!

Full list of infected applications published by "Myournet": &#8226; Falling Down &#8226; Super Guitar Solo &#8226; Super History Eraser &#8226; Photo Editor &#8226; Super Ringtone Maker &#8226; Super Sex Positions &#8226; Hot Sexy Videos &#8226; Chess &#8226; &#19979;&#22368;&#28378;&#29699;_Falldown &#8226; Hilton Sex Sound &#8226; Screaming Sexy Japanese Girls &#8226; Falling Ball Dodge &#8226; Scientific Calculator &#8226; Dice Roller &#8226; &#36530;&#36991;&#24377;&#29699; &#8226; Advanced Currency Converter &#8226; App Uninstaller &#8226; &#20960;&#20309;&#25112;&#26426;_PewPew &#8226; Funny Paint &#8226; Spider Man &#8226; &#34584;&#34523;&#20384;

Full list of infected applications published by "Kingmall2010&#8243;: &#8226; Bowling Time &#8226; Advanced Barcode Scanner &#8226; Supre Bluetooth Transfer &#8226; Task Killer Pro &#8226; Music Box &#8226; Sexy Girls: Japanese &#8226; Sexy Legs &#8226; Advanced File Manager &#8226; Magic Strobe Light &#8226; &#33268;&#21629;&#32477;&#33394;&#32654;&#33151; &#8226; &#22696;&#27700;&#22374;&#20811;Panzer Panic &#8226; &#35064;&#22868;&#20808;&#29983;Mr. Runner &#8226; &#36719;&#20214;&#24378;&#21147;&#21368;&#36733; &#8226; Advanced App to SD &#8226; Super Stopwatch & Timer &#8226; Advanced Compass Leveler &#8226; Best password safe &#8226; &#25527;&#39600;&#23376; &#8226; &#22810;&#24425;&#32472;&#30011;

Full list of infected apps under the developer name "we20090202&#8243;: &#8226; &#8226; Finger Race &#8226; Piano &#8226; Bubble Shoot &#8226; Advanced Sound Manager &#8226; Magic Hypnotic Spiral &#8226; Funny Face &#8226; Color Blindness Test &#8226; Tie a Tie &#8226; Quick Notes &#8226; Basketball Shot Now &#8226; Quick Delete Contacts &#8226; Omok Five in a Row &#8226; Super Sexy Ringtones &#8226; &#22823;&#23478;&#26469;&#25214;&#33580; &#8226; &#26700;&#19978;&#26354;&#26829;&#29699; &#8226; &#25237;&#31726;&#39640;&#25163;
 
Ok, wait, in the "Kingmall2010" blocked apps it lists "Task Killer Pro" --- is this a hacker clone of TASKILLER (one word) ????

Does anyone know? I use the free version of TASKiller every day to close this annoying "My Uploads" app that comes up on every android phone after a call or text.... fishy I know, but nobody on the internet seems to be able to tell me a detailed reason why My Uploads always comes up (apparently a default android app that hides in the background???)
 
Andriod apps are pretty bad right now....google needs to fix their market....
 
JimmiG said:
The problem is that handset manufacturers use new versions of Android as a sales pitch to make people buy their latest phone. Handsets that are perfectly capable of running 2.3 hardware-wise, are stuck at 1.6 because the newer versions are reserved for the "latest" phones (with exactly the same CPU, GPU and RAM specs). Besides, with a simple 1-click rooting procedure and a <100MB download, almost any phone can be updated to 2.2 or 2.3 today.

Google should make it mandatory for manufacturers to support old handsets for x number of years. These incremental updates include security fixes, patches and performance improvements that are required to safely and reliably use the phone as intended. It's kind of like WIndows Update. Imagine if Dell forced you to buy a new PC in order to install Win7 SP1. This is exactly the same thing.

I appreciate that handset manufacturers want to find ways to differentiate new phones from older ones, but they'll simply have to find other ways. If nothing is done, this fragmentation of the Android platform is going to get worse and worse until it kills the platform completely.
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Holy crap...people are still spouting fragmentation? Only because Lord and Master Jobs spoke it does that word get repeated for no reason whatsoever. You also assume the common person actually gives a shit. As long as their phone can get e-mail, SMS, and check Facebook they don't give a flying flip if a new Android version or new iOS version has been released. They just want a working phone. Only people like us actually care.

Guess what? iOS has the same damn problem with fragmentation just like every operating system before it. When iOS 4.3 is released on March 11 it is for GSM iPhone 3GS and GSM iPhone 4 only. That leaves Verzion iPhone 4 users shit out of luck. Yet, iPad 2 is coming in GSM and CDMA flavors with iOS 4.3.

What about iPhone, iPhone 3G, iPod touch 1st and 2nd gen users? They've been shit out of luck for awhile (and doubly screwed since most iPod touch users had to PAY for past upgrades). Yes, yes I know that iOS 4.x runs on a 3G but runs shitty and runs half-assed due to bullshit "hardware limitations" supposedly preventing things like multi-tasking. Thus why my old iPhone 3G (now just an iPod touch) is still 3.1.3. However, because it is Apple they get a free pass on their own fragmentation issues.

As for Android at the beginning of February 90% of all Android devices are Android 2.1 or better. 58% was on Android 2.2. For developers that makes life easy. You don't see an app for each Android version. Android 1.5/1.6 devices are EOL and could not support Android 2.2/2.3 correctly due to lack of memory. Even the trusty original Droid has issues running Android 2.3 so devs are doing quite a few workarounds in order to make it work.

http://www.androidcentral.com/android-21-and-now-90-percent-all-android-devices

Yes, you will have instances where phones can be upgraded and never get it. Motorola Cliq is a good example as is just about every Android based Samsung phone in existence. However, those are not Android's problems. Those are vendor issues and as consumers it is up to us to make them understand it is NOT OK. However, people keep right on buying Samsung phones complete with shitty support. Motorola botched the Cliq but have done very well maintaining their entire Droid line and have Android 2.3 upgrades for Droid X and Droid 2 in the pipeline.

Bottom line is "fragmentation" is a moot point as it exists across all platforms.

Dylan80 said:
Ok, wait, in the "Kingmall2010" blocked apps it lists "Task Killer Pro" --- is this a hacker clone of TASKILLER (one word) ????

Does anyone know? I use the free version of TASKiller every day to close this annoying "My Uploads" app that comes up on every android phone after a call or text.... fishy I know, but nobody on the internet seems to be able to tell me a detailed reason why My Uploads always comes up (apparently a default android app that hides in the background???)
Click to expand...

Well if you're running Android 2.2 or better you should toss the task killer anyways. They do far more harm then good.

My Uploads is an Android service used by YouTube and probably other services like uploading to Picasa and MMS. My guess as to why it starts after a phone call or text is that it is most likely checking that an upload was not interrupted. It is a safe process that should be left alone.

jwang26 said:
Andriod apps are pretty bad right now....google needs to fix their market....
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Please elaborate on "pretty bad right now". If you mean the Market itself many people will agree. I for one do want a simple vetting process to weed out the shitty apps like the single game old school console emulators that constantly hit the store every 30 seconds. A simple vetting process would also have stopped this malware attack as they would have seen that the apps are rooting the phones.
 
agreed ---^

Market runs fine for me, and I even use old ass android 1.6 still.... they actually updated it recently on all phones, as it looks and is more informative with the new "green" theme layout.

The only problem is the idiot newb app developers who don't make their apps compatible with all the android devices.... so if you try to open a newb app made for a smartphone on an android tablet, the resolution is different and such. This happens with Apple apps as well though.

Really.......... It's not android or apple's market fault, its the noob app developer who didn't think about the people whom would use his app on different devices with different resolutions....
 
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