More malware found in the Android Market

The Security Team at Lookout Mobile Security has discovered more new malware applications targeting the Android mobile operating system. According to Lookout, a total of four infected apps (Quick FallDown, Scientific Calculator, Bubble Buster, Best Compass & Leveler) were published to the Android Market by a developer by the name of "MobNet".

In a post on The Lookout Blog, the researchers say that each of these applications contained malware that is "nearly identical" to DroidDream Light. The malware has the ability to initiate an application download, change the next connection time, or redirect victims to download other apps from the market, visit specific URLs or even download an updated APK for the infected application, in turn updating the malware itself.

This is the third time that DroidDream or one of its variants has been discovered in the Android Market this year. DroidDream was first spotted in early March, after which Google pulled more than 50 applications from the Market. At the end of May, the DroidDream Light variant surfaced and Google removed a further 34 apps. The latest malware was quickly removed by Google, limiting the total number of downloads to 1,000-5,000, according to Lookout.

Malware is quickly becoming a growing problem for Android. Less than two months ago, security specialist Kaspersky published a malware report that compared Android to Microsoft Windows. In its comparison, the company noted that, like Windows, there are already a "plethora of Android devices" running outdated software which can contain unpatched vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit.

See also:

• Malware targets custom Android ROMs, a report from The H.
• Android malware subscribes to premium SMS services, a report from The H.

(crve)