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PDAStreet.com > Features > Mobile Malware: The Brief History Mobile Malware: The Brief History
By James Alan Miller A new more dangerous time for mobile device users, filled with mobile malware, is upon us. As with desktop computers, the Lilliputian world of PDAs and smartphones is no longer immune to malicious attack. This new reality was emphasized this week by the discovery of the one of the most sophisticated mobile viruses yet produced, Lasco.A. Unlike previous malware, Lasco.A attacks most often when users attempt to trade programs, but will also try to infect phones that are connected to its host device within Bluetooth range. (see, Yet Another Virus Targets Smartphones) It all began "innocent" enough with a pair of "proof-of-concept" trojans, but quickly got ugly—when virus writers with less "benign" intentions jumped on the mobile malware bandwagon. In this article, we take you through the trojans and viruses that were designed to affect and infect handhelds and smartphones over the last half a year or so, before directing you to articles on how to keep their PDAs, cell phones, and smartphones safe. The list is in reverse order, moving backwards from Lasco.A. Mobile Malware: The Brief History
December 2004 (For more, see New Cabir Variants are Spreading Fast)
(For more see Trojan Targets Anti-Virus Achilles Heel)
November 2004
 Skulls Virus (See Security Update: Skulls Hit Symbian Phones)
August 2004
Mosquito became activated when you launched the pirated game. Upon which, it copied itself to the system/apps/Mosquitos/ folder on the smartphone and then sent SMS messages out in the background at premium rates while the game was being played.
A few days later... The saga of the first Trojan Horse for Symbian smartphones took a twist worthy of Homer's epic poem the Iliad, as it became apparent that the perpetrator was the developer of the infected game itself. Ojum placed the Trojan in the game Mosquito as a form of copy protection.
So if a "cracked" or illegal version of the game was developed or Mosquito was played on an unregistered smartphone, the Trojan dialed a specific number silently in the background—sending an SMS message notifying the company. Although it worked as planned, it backfired too, as a number of legitimate users were affected.
(For more, see Mosquito Trojan Bites Developer Back)
June/July 2004
So EPOC.Cabir (Symbian) and WinCE.Dust (Pocket PC) were developed not to create havoc but to prove that malicious code for handhelds could be generated. First came Cabir in June, which was disguised as the Caribe Security Manager utility—part of a Symbian smartphone's security software. When launched, the worm made the smartphone's screen display the inscription Caribe.
The worm then penetrated the system and was activated each time you started your phone. It also scanned for other phones using Bluetooth to send out copies of itself. The newest trojan's appear to be based on this initial "proof-of-concept" creation.
Next came WinCE4.Dust for Pocket PC handhelds and phones. The writer only sent the virus to anti-virus vendors, claiming that it, like EPOC.Cabir, was created to show that a Pocket PC virus could be developed and spread. Also, unlike malicious worms, WinCE4.Dust asked the handheld owner if it could spread itself.
Basic Security
So, as a rule, it is a good idea not to accept Bluetooth messages from unknown users. And as anti-virus company F-Secure's director of anti-virus research Mikko Hypponen recommends, operate your device in hidden Bluetooth mode to avoid being infected. You will find additional security guidelines in the following articles: --Handheld Security: Part IV – The Mobile VPN --Handheld Security: Part III – Evaluating Security Products --Handheld Security: Part II - Understand Vulnerabilities --Handheld Security: Part I - Learn the Basics --Top 10 Items You Shouldn't Allow on Employee Unprotected PDAs (and what do about it) Related Links:
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