Android Malware up 472% Since July

Android Malware has increase by nearly 5 times in the past 4 months. It's incredibly easy to create an anonymous developer account, and upload malicious apps on the Android Marketplace. The platform is unprotected, as there is no review process for apps, and apps aren't code signed. If you're an Android user, your best bet is to check the permissions of every app you download, and only download apps that have a large user base and plenty of good reviews. Looking for new or indie apps might be a bad idea. Your other option is to choose a different phone when it's time to upgrade...


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HTC Admits Huge Security Flaw

HTC has come clean about a massive security flaw in their Android powered phones. The security hole allows an attacker to access all the data on the phone very easily. A malicious app could easily come in, take all your data, and send it elsewhere. HTC is working on a solution.

The flaw is in HTC's Sense UI, not the Android OS, so if you don't have an HTC Android phone, you're safer. Of course, Android has it's own security flaws, but you're at least safe from this issue. Of course, issues like this don't happen when the same company controls every aspect of the OS, like Apple does with iOS.
via Gizmodo

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Apple Updates Malware Definitions

Remember that PDF based trojan I reported on just 3 days ago? If not, there's a link, I recommend reading that story first, getting mildly frightened, and then coming back here for comfort.

Okay, don't be frightened, Apple has already issued an update to the built in malware definitions in Mac OS. That means, without knowing it, your Mac has already updated and protected itself against this trojan. Of course, this is only available to users of Mac OS Snow Leopard or Lion. But that's just another reason to upgrade. Lion has far better security than it's predecessors, even Snow Leopard. So, if you're really worried about security, upgrading to Lion would be your best bet.
via tuaw

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McAfee: Android Malware Up 76% From Last Quarter

Yet another security firm has come out stating the obvious: Android is not a secure platform. McAfee reports that Android malware has grown by 76% in the last quarter alone. iOS, however, remains as secure as ever. A lot of this has to do with Apple's "closed" ecosystem, meaning there's a review process for iOS apps, but there is not one for Android. This means attackers can easily load malware onto the Android Marketplace.

Android hasn't been having a lot of luck recently. It's getting harder and harder to report all the malware that's discovered on the platform, and much of it goes undiscovered for quite some time. If you plan on continuing using Android, make sure you're careful about what apps you're downloading.
via CultOfMac

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Trojan Pretends to be Flash

Right on the heels of the news of MacDefender company has been taken down by the authorities, a new piece of Mac Malware has been revealed. The malware pretends to be Adobe Flash, and, once installed, will replace google.com with the attacker's own website. The malware is apparently set up to deliver pop-up ads, but it appears as though this functionality is not operational yet.

Fake Google page

Expect Apple to block this quickly, as it did with the multiple versions of the MacDefender malware. Still, until the malware has been blocked, you can prevent it from infecting you by only installing Adobe Flash from Adobe's website. Why would you trust Adobe software downloaded from anywhere else anyway? Like MacDefender, this requires the user to not only download it, but also install it. As long as you only install Flash from Adobe, you'll be fine. 

via CultOfMac

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Company behind MacDefender Busted

Release malware for the Mac? Bad idea. Sure, you'll have a monopoly on Mac malware for a short time, but all that attention will also grab attention of the authorities. The company behind the MacDefender malware has been caught and those involved with the malware have been arrested.

Besides the fact that the company behind the MacDefender malware has been taken down, the MacDefender malware itself has been disabled completely by Apple's security update.
via CultOfMac

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More Malware for Android

Yesterday yet another new Android trojan was discovered. This one is after your phone conversations. Once installed, the trojan will record your calls, and store them on the SD card. The trojan is set up to send the call logs off to the attackers' servers, but currently, a typo in the code is disabling this feature. That's some seriously bad coding right there.
The trojan may be updated in the future to enable it to send your call logs off to foreign servers.

This comes along with a report that there has been a spike in Android malware. It seems legitimate developers may be moving to iOS, but malware developers have never been more interested in Android. Users are now twice as likely to be infected with malware on their Android device. As of this January, there were 80 known pieces of Android malware. At the end of June, there was over 400. That's 500% growth in just 6 months.

As you can see in the screenshot above, this trojan isn't particularly sneaky. The malware clearly asks for permission to keep the phone from sleeping, recording audio, and access to storage. If you actually read the permissions before accepting them, you'll be able to protect yourself from this trojan, at least for now.
via arstechnica and MacWorld

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Trojan Steals Bank Info from Android Phones

A variation of the Zitmo computer virus, called ZeuS, is afflicting Android phones. It's a trojan, and once it finds it's way onto your phone, it forwards all incoming text messages to the attacker's servers. The goal? Search for bank account activation codes to gain access to a person's account. A version of this virus has affected Windows 7 and Blackberry phones in the past.

The DroidDream trojan also found it's way back onto Android devices, despite being removed from the marketplace over a month ago. This time, the malware has found it's way onto 1000-5000 Android devices.

Malware targeting Android devices has increased by 400% over the past year, and the viruses are only getting more complex. Google still allows anyone to upload software to the Marketplace, and only removes apps after they've been discovered. This means that by the time it's discovered, it will have affected many users. The trickier once sometimes go undiscovered for weeks, and end up being downloaded thousands of times.

Android certainly isn't the most secure OS. Always be careful on the net, and it may be a good idea to refrain from using Android for anything related to banking.
via International Business Times

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