Hot on the heels of an App Store glitch that rendered newly updated apps unusable, a lab expert from software security specialist Kaspersky claims use of malware is on the rise across both iOS and Android.
Denis Maslennikov claims a Russian language utility app named Find and Call is in fact a trojan designed to upload a user's co-ordinates and contact list to a remote server.
The server then sends spam text messages to said contacts, each one suggesting they download Find and Call.
Call in question
The idea is, those who receive the text message in question believe the recommendation is genuine, given it comes from a trusted source rather than spam.
Find and Call is by no means the first piece of alleged malware to grace smartphone marketplaces, however, and has already been removed from both the App Store and Google Play following the furore.
The app's developer, however, has claimed in an emailed statement to Russian website Apple Insider that the text messages are the result of a 'bug' that's currently being fixed rather than an intended directive to utilise contact lists in such a way.
The first and only?
Other applications have previously made use of contact details without the express permission of users in a similar manner, including the iOS Path app.
Numerous clone apps masquerading as popular games have also frequently scam hundreds of customers out of their cash.
A fake Pokemon Yellow app, for instance, recently reached #12 on the US App Store's overall top grossing chart. When users attempted to open the 99c application, it would simply crash.
[source: SecureList]
Top Stories
Feature
7 hours ago
Speaker Spotlight: Dubai NEXT's Aisha Alazab on transforming ideas into successful campaigns and funding
Feature
Apr 25th, 2024
Speaker Spotlight: Applovin's Pankaj Choudhary talks 360 strategies for successful app marketing
Events
Esports Future Summit | Middle East | Apr 27th |
Dubai GameExpo Summit 2024 | Middle East | May 1st |
The MENA Games Industry Awards 2024 | Middle East | May 2nd |
GameDev Atlantic 2024 | May 4th | |
Mobidictum Meetup Berlin May 2024 | Europe | May 7th |
Mobidictum Meetup Tallinn May 2024 | Europe | May 21st |
Israel Mobile Summit 2024 | Middle East | Jun 6th |
DevGAMM Vilnius 2024 | Europe | Jun 14th |
Popular Stories
News
Apr 23rd, 2024
Supercell’s Squad Busters soft launches today with over 100,000 Google Play downloads
Feature
Apr 24th, 2024