The first major 2013 Android malware alert has been sounded.
According to a new threat coming to light this week, a pretty nefarious trojan for Android has been discovered and should be guarded against in the coming days and weeks.
The trojan is capable of executing Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. Based on what little we know, the malware can also receive commands and distribute text messages for advanced spamming efforts.
With Android malware up a reported 700% in the last twelve months, this newest threat – “Android.DDoS.1.origin” – comes as no surprise. The same goes for the method in which it is purportedly spread – through social engineering guises. Specifically, the malware dupes users by appearing to be a legitimate app from Google.
But after installation, it creates an icon that looks suspiciously like the one for Google Play. But it isn’t. And upon launching, the trojan connects to its Command and Control (C&C) server and it’s “game on” for a wide variety of activities that you wouldn’t want any part of.
As of this writing, there is no evidence to suggest that this threat is wholly pervasive or spreading fast. But it could. And so Android users are advised to be particularly observant of what they’re putting on their device and how it behaves.
