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Worm ready to wriggle into smart phones |
gelfen
Joined: Nov 22, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Melbourne, Australia
PM |
Original article from ZDNet Australia, by Robert Lemos, 15 June 2004
Antivirus companies on Monday in the US raced to decipher the workings of the first worm to target smart phones, while saying that the current incarnation of the program poses little threat.
The worm program, dubbed Cabir by Russian antivirus company Kaspersky, apparently uses the Bluetooth short-range wireless feature of smart phones that run the Symbian operating system to detect other Symbian phones, and then transfers itself to the new host as a package file. While able to replicate the spread of the virus in research settings, antivirus companies have not found any evidence that the program is infecting smart phones outside of those limited test cases.
Antivirus companies were apparently sent a copy of the worm from the group that created it. While the program does not do anything but spread, and has not yet been detected among the public's phones, the worm may be used for future development.
Hackers and researchers have repeatedly warned about problems with the security of the Bluetooth wireless standard. This worm, however, mostly takes advantage of the amount of trust the Symbian operating system invests in other Symbian-based smart phones.
After infecting a phone, the program creates an application package file containing the worm and passes it to another phone over an automatically established Bluetooth connection. The phone that received infects itself by installing the program.
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kundmottagaren
Joined: Jun 16, 2004
Posts: 1
From: Kungsholmen
PM, WWW
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The thing you have to do in order to GET the virus is actually ACCEPT it first as a download. It doesn't happen by itself. I wish there was some smart way to run a sort of "Symbian virus check", if you use a normal computer and run it there first... Probably coming along sometime soon. /BK |
Cytech
Joined: Feb 19, 2002
Posts: > 500
From: Stockholm, Sweden
PM |
doesn't matter if you must accept it... many people will push yes on such a question... just look at many of our computer viruses/masks today, many of theese only infect computers first when the user open the atteched file in the email... and theese are travelling around the internet right now...
there is also a discussion about this on http://www.esato.com/board/viewtopic.php?topic=61124
[ This Message was edited by: Cytech on 2004-06-16 18:56 ] |
gelfen
Joined: Nov 22, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Melbourne, Australia
PM |
Yeah, but mine was first 
I have to agree about people's stupidity.
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gelfen
Joined: Nov 22, 2003
Posts: > 500
From: Melbourne, Australia
PM |
in further news...
Microsoft readies defence against smart-phone virus
original ariticle from ZDNEt Australia (follow the link above)
Microsoft has built multiple security features into its Smartphone OS claimed Mike Wehrs, director of technology and standards for Microsoft's Mobile Devices Division. If all else fails and the worm manages to proliferate, patches for Windows-based smart phones can be distributed and downloaded quickly via mobile networks to curb the outbreak. "If something is found and is identified as a vulnerability, we can distribute updated code for the phone over the Internet and over the air," Wehrs said. "We try to short-circuit how fast the virus spreads by updating it (the OS) in the field." However, he is skeptical such en-masse patching would be necessary, as malicious programs stand "remote chances" of bypassing the Smartphone OS's digital certification feature. "Even if the handset OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturer) or operator decides not to turn those security features on, every piece of code that attempts execute on the phone triggers a dialog box," Wehrs stressed. "The likelihood of someone writing a piece of code that actually could duplicate and get around the certificate system is pretty remote."
This approach is also favored by Symbian, which launched its application-certification scheme last month. Coined "Symbian Signed", the program is backed by ardent supporters of the OS including Sony Ericsson, Nokia and Sendo.
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Posted: 2004-06-15 04:48
