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Google pulls 50 malicious Android apps - how 2 defend your Droid

In this article from a reputable online magazine (Business Insider), there is a list of more than 50 apps that Google has pulled from the Marketplace this week because they are malware .If you have already downloaded them to your phone you need to know how to remove them; all of us need to know how to protect our phones from them.

These apps sound like things you might really want, like a scientific calculator, but they are designed to gain root access to your phone and steal information such as your carrier ID. Someone else can then use your phone info for international calls and financial transactions.

There's a link to the article below. It recommends using Lookout, an app available for free on the Android Market that runs in the background scanning for malware. I haven't tried Lookout yet (still waiting on the replacement for my Android-update damanged phone ) but wanted to pass on this info in a timely way.

http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-protect-your-android-phone-from-malicious-apps-2011-3

- SheWho

Comments

droidsw

In this article, Google explains the actions being taken:

http://googlemobile.blogspot.com/2011/03/update-on-android-market-security.html

Wildman

Android Central posted on this subject from http://www.androidcentral.com/google-tells-steps-taken-wake-spate-malicious-apps

Google late Saturday night publicly revealed the action it has taken in the wake of a number of malicious applications that were lurking not so quietly in the Android Market. As you'll recall, some 21 apps from a single developer were found to be collecting and sending device IDs (IMEI codes) and Android versions, but the exploit left users open to worse attacks. Here's the short version of what Google's done since being alerted March 1:

The apps were removed from the Market, developer accounts banned and law enforcement notified.
Google is remotely removing the malicious applications from infected phones. (That's a feature Google has its disposal, and has used in the past.)
Google is pushing an update to undo the security exploits that allowed these malicious apps to work in the first place.
Google is "adding a number of measures to help prevent additional malicious applications using similar exploits from being distributed through Android Market."

A couple things to note here: If you are running Android 2.2.2 or higher, you don't have these security vulnerabilities. If you were affected, you'll be getting an e-mail from Google (android-market-support@google.com) explaining things, and you'll be getting an Android Market Security Tool 2011 app to patch the exploits.

So the barn door's been closed, folks. Google says it's taking additional steps to keep this sort of thing from happening again. That's not to say it won't happen -- by nature, attacks will continue. But good on Google for explaining exactly what happened, and what's being done in the aftermath. [Google Mobile Blog]

nickjr

Lookout is a good app.. but I have been using Webroot spysweeper and it is good software. I use the paid version for my laptop and desktop Webroot AV and Spyware combined.. Does an excellent job..

Wildman

nickjr wrote:
Lookout is a good app.. but I have been using Webroot spysweeper and it is good software. I use the paid version for my laptop and desktop Webroot AV and Spyware combined.. Does an excellent job..

+1 for Lookout but Webroot or or PC based scanning app cant detect a infected application stored on the root (Internal Memory) because it can not get access to the files because the software restricts access, it can only scan the sd card files.

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