Symantec claims to have discovered a string of “malicious” applications in the Android app store that resemble botnets.
In accordance to a website article by the firm,these applications are pushing out a kind of malware called Android.Counterclank, which is said to be related to a botnet-like virus called Android.Tonclank. Botnets generally lengthen from a commanding device, which then takes handle of other units through spam messages. On cell, this handle can be reached through malicious programs.
Symantec states that Android.Counterclank has presently afflicted one thousand′s and considers its damage degree to be a “medium,” for stealing personal info off of the mobile phone. Therefore much the firm has isolated thirteen possibly dangerous purposes in the Android Market. The majority of which seem to be gaming applications as well as porn or programs with explicit material.
Cellular stability agency Lookout Cellular, however, does not feel these purposes to be malicious or botnet-like.
“Some companies are calling this a botnet or malware. Lookout has some issues about the performance, nonetheless at this time, and as far as we can inform, it does not meet up with the standard to be labeled as malware or a ‘bot,’” mentioned a Lookout Cell spokesperson in an e-mail. “Consumers ought to get these applications really severely as they seem to tread on privacy lines, but they are not necessarily malicious.”
Cellular botnets lately produced Lookout Mobile’s threat predictions for 2012. The tactic thankfully hasn’t been used to its total possible however, but some little scale botnets have presently been detected. In 2011, Lookout Cellular discovered a botnet string referred to as Geinimi originating out of China. This malware was able to receive instructions from a remote server, as properly as extract details from your cellphone, and attempt to infect other folks employing your cellphone.
The company also warns that most frequent carriers of cell malware are gaming and porn programs, which make up Android.Counterclank’s roster. See Symantec’s record of contaminated apps beneath:
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