PC World is reporting that a Trojan-type software virus has been discovered that infects Apple iPhones. The Trojan is the first known software virus to target mobile phones, and has raised considerable alarm within the mobile phone industry.
While the iPhone Trojan is not currently considered a major risk, computer security company F-Secure have confirmed that the virus is real, and has the potential to be modified to infect many different makes and models of cell phones, on virtually any GSM mobile network.
The Trojan targets iPhone users that have installed software modifications to their phone to receive third-party software applications. It enters the phone disguised as a utility update, and is usually labeled as “113 prep.”
Once installed on an iPhone, the Trojan does nothing but display a strange text message consisting of only the word “shoes.” It is when the user attempts to uninstall the application (as many certainly would) that it springs into life, proceeding to remove files from the bin directory which render other applications useless.
The iPhone Trojan was originally hosted on a web site, which has now been removed according to F-Secure. While the damage which can be inflicted by the Trojan is considered minimal at this point, its very existence brings into question the security of the iPhone software, and beyond that, the security of all mobile phone software.
Software security experts worry that the iPhone Trojan could be just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to mobile phone security problems. And with well over a billion mobile phone users around the world, a serious mobil virus or Trojan could have devastating effects on every continent.
In the early days of the Internet, viruses and Trojans were rampant, but with the development of greater security software and web hosting, they have been controlled to a certain degree, though not completely eliminated.
Some analysts worry that we may be seeing the beginning of the “virus age” when it comes to mobile communications. The same types of viruses and Trojans that have wreaked havoc online can be modified to do similar damage to mobile phones and — more frighteningly — entire mobile phone networks.
And Internet security programs, which are common today on PCs, could soon be ubiquitous on mobile phones. History has shown that whenever a network of any type has security holes, some enterprising hacker (or worse) will gladly create a software program to exploit the weakness.
Experts predict that mobile security will become a far greater issue over the next few years, especially as cell phones continue to expand and become fully equipped media, communication and Internet devices.
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some people complain that their mobiles automatically shutdown or restart or some time hang badly
is this the result of virus or is it mobile firmware problem?
Comment by Rakesh | Mobile Phone — January 22, 2008 @ 5:07 am