'Sexy' malware heralds arrival of mobile botnets

Security researchers have identified a piece of mobile malware that spreads virally through handsets via spam text messages. Devices running Symbian S60 are vulnerable to this unique piece of malware that may include botnet code.
7/17/2009 5:48:00 AM By: Jeremy Kirk

The first worm that spreads between mobile devices by spamming text messages has developed a new communications capability that one security vendor says signals the arrival of mobile botnets.

Trend Micro has analyzed a piece of mobile malware known as "Sexy Space," which is a variant of another piece of mobile malware called Sexy View, which targets devices running the Symbian S60 OS.

Sexy View, which was detected by vendors such as F-Secure six months ago, is significant because it is the first known malware sample that spreads by SMS (Short Message Service). It appeared initially in China.

Infected phones would send SMSes to everyone in the phone's contact list with a link to a Web site. If someone clicked the link, they would then be prompted to install Sexy View, which purports to offer pornography-related content.

In another advancement, those who wrote Sexy View were able to get the application approved and signed by Symbian. The OS manufacturer, now owned by Nokia, vets applications for security using both manual and automated processes, said Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer for F-Secure.

share: