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How To Keep Your Android Phone From Being Hacked By Malicious Apps

Steve Kovach | Mar. 3, 2011, 10:11 AM
Yesterday we told you about the 21 malicious apps Google yanked from the Android Market.
Now at least 30 more have been discovered and removed. These apps are designed to gain root access to your phone and steal information such as your carrier ID. It also opens up your phone to even more malicious code.
Many of the apps have seemingly innocuous names like "Scientific Calculator" or raunchy ones like "Super Sex Positions." If you're ever in doubt about an app, err on the side of caution and don't download it.
One of our commenters pointed out a free Android app called Lookout that will scan anything you download to your phone for malware. We've used Lookout before, but haven't found a need for it until now.
Download it for free in the Android Market and allow it to run in the background. Lookout will notify you if it finds a virus or malware on your phone.
So far, it looks like three developers are responsible for the malicious apps. If you see an app from we20090202, Kingmall2010, or Myournet do not download it.
Here's the list of the malicious apps from Lookout's blog that have been identified so far:
* Falling Down
* Super Guitar Solo
* Super History Eraser
* Photo Editor
* Super Ringtone Maker
* Super Sex Positions
* Hot Sexy Videos
* Chess
* 下坠滚球_Falldown
* Hilton Sex Sound
* Screaming Sexy Japanese Girls
* Falling Ball Dodge
* Scientific Calculator
* Dice Roller
* 躲避弹球
* Advanced Currency Converter
* App Uninstaller
* 几何战机_PewPew
* Funny Paint
* Spider Man
* 蜘蛛侠
* Bowling Time
* Advanced Barcode Scanner
* Supre Bluetooth Transfer
* Task Killer Pro
* Music Box
* Sexy Girls: Japanese
* Sexy Legs
* Advanced File Manager
* Magic Strobe Light
* 致命绝色美腿
* 墨水坦克Panzer Panic
* 裸奔先生Mr. Runner
* 软件强力卸载
* Advanced App to SD
* Super Stopwatch & Timer
* Advanced Compass Leveler
* Best password safe
* 掷骰子
* 多彩绘画
* Finger Race
* Piano
* Bubble Shoot
* Advanced Sound Manager
* Magic Hypnotic Spiral
* Funny Face
* Color Blindness Test
* Tie a Tie
* Quick Notes
* Basketball Shot Now
* Quick Delete Contacts
* Omok Five in a Row
* Super Sexy Ringtones
* 大家来找茬
* 桌上曲棍球
* 投篮高手
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/how-...hone-from-malicious-apps-2011-3#ixzz1FYR1gYHU
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oh man... I thought this might be helpful info for us here. be careful with leaked apps as well. You never know if they've been modified in some way. You could be opening up your phone to an exploit.

Great!
I´ll upload my article regarding this
Will stick for the time being

Is there no checking of apps before being allowed onto the market?

xaccers said:
Is there no checking of apps before being allowed onto the market?
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They moderate similar to a forum, innocent until proven guilty. They wont cut something til the issue is known

is no platform sacred anymore

Just installed Lookup hoping it do the job

orb3000 said:
Just installed Lookup hoping it do the job
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Does anyone know how effective Lookup (or other security apps) actually are?

orb3000 said:
Just installed Lookup hoping it do the job
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So, is Lookout now a needed App ? And do i have to register to run Lookout ?

My market does not work, can anyone please attach the lookout apk here?

Nice and the war begines Virus makers v anti virus
Hi
Thank you for the important info youv shared
my first questions to acctualy start looking for defence against malware
lookup seems good by all the feedback iv got but who is lookup?
why should i trust lookup?
yeh you can call it paranoia but better safe huh.

Not sure about other options, sure there are more around.
I got this as a recommendation and so far it´s doing the job
tomj777 said:
Does anyone know how effective Lookup (or other security apps) actually are?
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Can´t tell if it´s a needed app but it´s better to have it and see if it feeds your needs.
uxu said:
So, is Lookout now a needed App ? And do i have to register to run Lookout ?
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stop downloading apps with boobs and sex in it. lol

z33dev33l said:
They moderate similar to a forum, innocent until proven guilty. They wont cut something til the issue is known
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See, that to me is ridiculous on google's part.
Applications need to be vetted, if that slows down the app population growth then so be it.
I'm pretty sure that the MS Marketplace doesn't just let people upload apps to it as when an excellent train timetable app stopped working and needed an update, MS took ages to allow the update onto the marketplace (I would imagine they were somewhat tied up prepping for the release of WP7 which makes sense).
If an app that runs on our phones is able to detect such malware, then why can't google even impliment an auto scan on uploads to the market?
I've always been cautious of the market as I've suspected that apps aren't vetted, the official sources of apps HAVE to be safe no matter what OS

does anyone know if your gmail password gets stored anywhere in the phone, just alittle curious, cause if they can only get my phone number and email address

Very nice, thanks for the info!!!

Will download and give this a test run. Btw some of those raunchy apps, maybe they shouldn't have dl'd them in the first place. D=

What's lacking in all the commentary is how to check whether your device has indeed been infected.
Now I didn't have the various raunchy/boob/japanese school girl apps installed, but I may have had the scientific calculator installed as well as Advanced Barcode Scanner (I need to check when I get home).
Sod's law says that the one time I boot Android in weeks (device is normally being used for Meego/Ubuntu development) I get a virus.
This article gives some information about what the installer does:
http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2011/03/03/droid-dream-android-market-malware-attack-aftermath/
So I guess I should check and see what services are now running, see the names of the app publishers, etc. to determine whether I am indeed infected.

Thank you for share,, I install only market applications, have a lot of apps and i only install applications if are a cracked version of an application available on market

Will antiviruses sold on the market particularly help protect you from malware?
I heard a while back that antiviruses on Android weren't essential...

I believe you guys should give Lookout a bit more credit, too.
Their website offers a great service if you actually sign up and use it.
They have a free "Phone-Finder" service that actually works very well.

[APP] Google + 1.0.6

You need an invitation to sign in. Google+ for mobile makes sharing the right things with the right people a lot simpler. Huddle lets you send super-fast messages to the people you care about most. With your permission, Instant Upload automatically puts the photos and videos you take into a private album in the cloud, so you can share them anytime, from anywhere. And no matter where you are, the stream lets you stay in the loop about what your friends are sharing and where they’re checking in.
Features:
* Circles let you share the right things with just the right people.
* Stream is where you can get updates from your circles or see what people are saying about things nearby.
* Instant Upload automatically uploads videos and photos to your own private album in the cloud, to make sharing a snap.
* Huddle is super-fast group messaging for everyone in your circles.
Recent changes:
* Reshare a post
* App now available in 38 languages
* Incremental improvements to notification reliability
* Clearer Instant Upload options in the initial setup dialog
* Bug fixes: Eliminate Instant Upload duplicates on HTC models , fixed “No name” issue in Huddle, hidden 1:1 huddles now reappear when new msgs are sent, fixed issue with notifications count changing when switching from portrait to landscape
* Other performance fixes and minor UI tweaks
Download from HERE

I feel with the release of the app warrants invites too...
heres 150 for everyone!
https://plus.google.com/_/notifications/ngemlink?path=/?gpinv=pSiQkv9_g9c:bkeqfy_o7ZE
i don't care if theres another section for invites either... with the app belongs usability

is anyone using all the features of this app? i'd like the video chat to work through Huddle

Thanks mate..

Thank you,a million thanks, now of I can find out how to invite others. This is an amazing alternative. Thanks again.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App

mprosper69 said:
Thank you,a million thanks, now of I can find out how to invite others. This is an amazing alternative. Thanks again.
Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using XDA App
Click to expand...
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right hand side of your screen in the red mid screen... can only invite from a full browser

HAHAHA I was just thinking also, the games feature. I don't think it would be too hard for direct integration into the app with our currently installed games, then play with others over the net. That would be slick

@skygear: To be honest, I wasn't aware of any "invites" section for Google+, because I certainly didn't realize that each person got 150 invites they could send out. Been wanting to try out Google+, and your "misplaced" post with the invite has now allowed me to do so, so thank you

[APP] Videotonez app is back and better than ever!!

ok let me start off by saying we our proud to finally release our version of videotonez,
here's some changes we made since last year:
Over 1,000,000,000 Mp4 Videos (includes music,sports, events & almost any video you can think of)
Social Feature that lets you Share your selections easily with friends via Twitter & Facebook
RSS Music News Feed
Full Screen Option
Create your own Videotone and assign to specific contacts
We also made it Compatible with almost all Samsung Galaxys and the new Samsung Infuse.
I hope everyone enjoys it, and can take a couple of minutes of their day to give us some feedback on any issues or errors you get.
The app is Ad-Supported which obviously makes it free!
To find the app in the Android Market just search for "Muz"
Video Tutorial is also in the Description if you need any help setting up the app and etc.

mobisoftcorp said:
ok let me start off by saying we our proud to finally release our version of videotonez,
here's some changes we made since last year:
Over 1,000,000,000 Mp4 Videos (includes music,sports, events & almost any video you can think of)
Social Feature that lets you Share your selections easily with friends via Twitter & Facebook
RSS Music News Feed
Full Screen Option
Create your own Videotone and assign to specific contacts
We also made it Compatible with almost all Samsung Galaxys and the new Samsung Infuse.
I hope everyone enjoys it, and can take a couple of minutes of their day to give us some feedback on any issues or errors you get.
The app is Ad-Supported which obviously makes it free!
To find the app in the Android Market just search for "Muz"
Video Tutorial is also in the Description if you need any help setting up the app and etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks Bro!!

Enjoy the app!

Hi the app sounds cool. I can't seem to find it on the market though when searching "muz".
Sent from my LG-VM670 using XDA App

heres the link https://market.android.com/details?id=ms.muzmobilevideo.android

[APP] Spawt - A Location Bookmarking App for the Galaxy Note - Need beta testers

Hi all, I'm a Singaporean developer and I'm here to tell you that I'm sick of idiots posting/bragging their daily life on Facebook, I mean, if you want to do that, why not do it so that I can ACTUALLY use that information next time? Thankfully, I'm a developer and I can actually do something about it.
WHAT IF, those stupid FOOD pictures taken at the restaurant actually POP UP the next time I am hungry and near that area? WHAT IF those slutty clubbing pictures could actually help me pick a club when I want to go? So here's my solution.
Spawt is a location-based experience bookmarking service so now you could actually point those idiots to the app and actually end up building a beautiful scrapbook of experiences that you and your friends can mutually share and discover.
Features
- Bookmark a great experience by creating a Checkpoint.
- Contextually discover interesting experiences from fellow Spawtters based on your current location.
* Spawt believes that your friends' experiences matter more, so your Facebook friends' Checkpoints will be treated as first class citizens.
- Builds a catalog of Checkpoints that will serve as a scrapbook of experiences for when you need an inspiration on what to do next.
- No need to create a whole new social network, leverages your existing Facebook network.
* Note, we send NOTHING back to Facebook, your privacy is MY topmost concern. (I should know, I'm a Facebook cynic.)
Download the app and tell me what you make of it, and most importantly how I can go on making it better for you and your friends. Search for "Spawt Beta" or get it here: https://play.google.com/store/apps/...result#?t=W251bGwsMSwxLDEsImNvbS5jdHJsZWZmIl0.
PS: Oh did I mention Galaxy S2 kicks ass?
PSS: Oh also, if the app does crash, and it will, please click Report so I can fix it so you can swear a little bit less when the next update comes.

nice
great idea, am going to test that

thanks kuroshn, tell me what you make of it

I Like it because you call Facebook users Idiots...

haha thanks. unfortunately its a necessary evil though

Yeh im up for testing hate facebook. . Is this a worthwile altrrnative? looks like it
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

Why do you need to log in with facebook? nooooo sorry uninstall
Sent from my GT-N7000 using xda premium

[FREE][APP][2.3.3+] Bluehood - win a Nexus 7

Bluehood (search Play store for bluehood) is a very cool application to get to know new people around you. In Bluehood people connects to each other, they make new friends, chat or even flirt. For example, if you see somebody interesting around you, in Bluehood you can see his/her friendship status: single, in a relationship or married. You can even see contact details like phone number, mail, instant messaging id or Facebook page if allowed. If not allowed, then you can start chatting and make your luck.
Take social networking to a new level and unleash the power and functionality of Bluetooth in your device!
This is a new application so, in order to find as many people as possible in Bluehood, please share it with your friends.
To see how you can win a Nexus 7 please see Bluehood facebook page: www.facebook.com/mobile.bluehood

new version
In version 1.04 you can send smilies to people around you!

10-50 installs so far

ncc74656 said:
10-50 installs so far
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Hey, the app is just 7 days old and the Play store is a huge collection of apps, it is very difficult for a new app to become visible. Play is, maybe, the only store that does not have a "New apps" section, I think that Google has a reason for that

In version 1.05 you can let someone around you know that you like her/him at a touch of a button!