CERT-In
alerts Android phone users to a new 'AndroidSmssend' password stealing virus.
Cybersecurity
sleuths have issues a warning about a new infectious Trojan virus which steals
vital information from your Android based smartphone and can even illegally
send SMSes to those on the mobile contact list.
The
malware dubbed 'AndroidSmssend' can acquire as many as four aliases to steal
passwords. "Android/SmsSend is a premium service abuser family malware
that arrives bundled with legitimate Android applications and infects Android
based smart phones.
"Once
infected, it sends text messages (typically with a link to itself or a
different threat) to a specific number, typically to numbers on the contact
list and is also capable to send SMS to premium rate numbers," the
Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-In) said in its latest advisory
to Android phone users.
The
advisory says that after infecting a device, the malware steals the Smartphones
IMEI number, device id, device type as well as other basic information and can
even install spyware on the targeted device.
CERT-in
warns that the virus is so notorious that it "steals contacts and
pictures, tracks the location, steals passwords, illegally accesses text
messages, crashes a complete system, steals personal banking information when
logged in, installs other sort of spyware and disables firewall and anti-virus
program to defend itself."
The
agency has suggested some counter-measures to users to protect their devices
against the virus.
"Do
not download and install applications from untrusted sources, install
applications downloaded from reputed application market only, run a full system
scan on device with mobile security solution or mobile anti-virus solution,
check for the permissions required by an application before installing,
exercise caution while visiting trusted/untrusted sites for clicking links,
install Android updates and patches and use device encryption or encrypting
external SD card feature available with most of the android OS (operating
system)."
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