Creepy Android malware records your phone calls

[onehandle]

Source: MSNBC

According to researchers at CA Technologies, this latest Android security threat is significantly more advanced than previously seen Trojans — which merely snooped on text-based details such as call duration or incoming/outgoing call logs — and takes steps to record and build an archive of your actual phone conversations.

The malware basically cajoles users into allowing it to be installed by behaving like a legit Android app, creates a "configuration" file for itself so that it can operate properly, and then starts spying on you the instant you make an outgoing call.

Phone calls are recorded as AMR files — AMR is a file format frequently used for storing spoken audio — and placed directly onto your device's SD card into a freshly created directory called "shangzhou/callrecord." There aren't details regarding what happens once the audio files are saved. The folks at CA Technologies don't elaborate on whether the malware attempts to send the recording anywhere, but it wouldn't be surprising if this was a "feature" built into this or future versions of the Trojan.

The creepy speculation aside, what can you do to protect yourself and keep your phone from spying on you? Not too much beyond what you should already be doing: Following the advice of good ol' Mad-Eye Moody of Harry Potter fame and staying "always vigilant!"

Read more: http://technolog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/08/02/7230825-creepy-android-malware-records-your-phone-calls

[valerief]

1. Toss the Android. nt

[frylock]

2. or people can just stop installing shitware on their phones..

install only what you need and ensure that it's from a legit developer.

[NoodleyAppendage]

3. Solution. Buy an iPhone and suck it up.

Android is the PC of mobile/smart phones. There's a price to be paid for wanted a jailbroken type mobile OS.

J

[comtec]

4. actually android is everything the iphone should be

fast, scalable, user friendly, NON-insulting to users intellect, open, fast, UPGRADEABLE, and available on more than ONE device!

Oh and the tablet OS is actually USEABLE AS A TABLET OS

but continue with your fantasy world.

-a very pissed off Ipod touch 2-gen owner

[quakerboy]

5. The apps are out there for Iphone as well

As some have learned to their great distress.

[Taverner]

6. I wonder if it's time to "devolve" the tech

That is, get rid of the smartphone and go back to the plain jane cell phone...

You still can do that...

[jmowreader]

7. I have a two-cans-and-string cell phone

Well, not really but almost. If I push a button and talk into it, my words go to the person I called. And that's all I need it for. I can't even imagine why I'd want a phone that plays movies.