Smartphone Anti_Virus SWare

[Guest Tuberider]

Are viruses a problem yet with Smart phones ? Does anyone know where I can get AV software for my IMate SP3.....if there is any available?

I have just received email warning me about "Ace" calling and sending a virus if I answer the call...is it possible to send a virus to a phone this way other than usual way via email ? What about SMS viruses?

Any help would be appreciated!

[Guest Disco Stu]

There are 2 anti-virus products for Smartphones available that I'm aware of, but no known viruses. Have a look on the usual software sites for the options if you feel it is necessary.

[Guest awarner [MVP]]

You would have to download malicious code to be effected by a virus

also more importantly the virus would have to be written specifically for the phone. At the moment there are no listed viruses for the phone unlike symbian which have has a few.

[Guest chucky.egg]

...just received email warning me about "Ace" calling and sending a virus if I answer the call...is it possible to send a virus to a phone this way...?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

No is the short answer to that question

SMS viruses don't exist (yet?), but you could conceivably create an application that people install onto their phone, and which would trigger events on receipt of specially formatted text messages.

That wouldn't be too hard to do, but you'd have to get people to install the Trojan Horse first.

Funny enough, if a virus writer created an app (say a game for example) and sold it on Handango, Handango would send the the mobile phone number for each purchaser (if the purchaser supplies it) to the virus writer. That would give them the distribution channel for the Trojan, and the phone numbers (in some cases) to send the "trigger" messages to, and the virus writer gets a little money out of it too.

For now you don't need to worry about viruses on MS Smartphones. The market is just too small to be of any interest to serious virus writers.

The best thing to do is be careful about what you install on your phone. Don't be tempted by warez and cracks etc, because that is by far the easiest way to distribute viruses when they do come out.

[Guest Tunney]

SMS viruses don't exist (yet?)

There was a phone that you could crash by sending it a text message containing chinese characters, but cases like that are extremely rare. Text messages are just that - text. You can't send executable files (the usual medium for viruses) through text messages, so you have little to worry about.

Smartphone hasn't really seen any viruses yet (though I believe that there was a version of cabir "released" for it), since it's such a niche operating system. Even the ones for Symbian have been pretty lame - with the user having to OK the installation of them, rather than them being based on any actual security vulnerbility.

However, any mobile phone "virus" released is guaranteed to make the press. It's easy for the media to sensationalize the threat and I'm sure the anti-virus firms are cashing in on it.

[Guest Chaser81]

I see absolutely no point in anti-virus software for the Smartphone at the moment. As others have pointed out above, there are no viruses designed for MS Smartphone..

Incidentally, I remember that it was a Nokia phone a couple of years ago that could be crashed with the text message, Tunney. It wasnt a virus though, as you said, but a message which exploited a bug on the phone.

[Guest ga!nusha]

2 antivirus softare??airscanner and???

i have airscanner and recentry i made an update and in my virus database list are 2 items: WinCE_Dust and Brador_a Trojan

[Guest Disco Stu]

Funny how we haven't heard of either of those here :-k

[Guest Tunney]

Well, it looks like AirScanner are trying to drum up some business for their AV software. :roll:

Edited January 27, 2005 by Tunney

[Guest chucky.egg]

...in my  virus database list are 2 items: WinCE_Dust and Brador_a Trojan

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I seem to recall WinCE_Dust being a PocketPC virus/trojan/whatever, but I don't recall any of the details.

Never heard of Brador_a, but my guess would be another PPC one

Does Airscanner have a list of viruses and what they affect? You might find you're protectng yourself from things that can't actually get you

[Guest ga!nusha]

I seem to recall WinCE_Dust being a PocketPC virus/trojan/whatever, but I don't recall any of the details.

Never heard of Brador_a, but my guess would be another PPC one

Does Airscanner have a list of viruses and what they affect?  You might find you're protectng yourself from things that can't actually get you

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

this is what it sais:

WinCE_Dust infects all programs in the root directory of the Smartphone device

Brador_a Trojan is a two-part program. it has coresponding client and server parts that communicate.

as u can see it sais for smartphone not for pocket pc... guess they've been ported :D

[Guest chucky.egg]

Hmm, odd that nobody else seems to know about it though?

Just read this on El Reg:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/28/mo..._phone_viruses/

However, the reality is that the real threat from viruses just doesn't exist today. My prediction is that mobile phones won't experience any major security issues for several years, for the same reasons that we don't see major virus threats in the computer world for any platform other than Windows: there needs to be a critical mass of a given population for the threat to be real.

[Guest Chaser81]

From Which You Can Read: Virus writers cant be arsed cause not that many people have Smartphones in comparison to say Nokias, and infecting Smartphone OS wont get them notority.

[Guest ga!nusha]

Hmm, odd that nobody else seems to know about it though?

Just read this on El Reg:

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/01/28/mo..._phone_viruses/

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

so what's with my virus list cuz it's there and i dindn't make it up...i'm not making fun of you...i also knew that smartphone viruses are far from appearing but what's wrong with my airscanner??? :roll:

EDIT: you should try airscanner cuz it's free (and useless form what you say)

Edited January 28, 2005 by ga!nusha

[Guest squall]

just a note of the subject, i think the scanner is free as they realised they wouldnt sell lots at the minute seeing as theres no virus's, instead they decided to build there customer base hoping that in 6 months there will be virus's...

I think it does some stuff for anti spam, maybe the lists are connected to that rather than virus's?

[Guest ga!nusha]

also FB-4 VirusGuard has the brador.a virus in the virus database.

see handango at more screenshots

thought you knew about this 2 virus threats :shock:

Edited January 28, 2005 by ga!nusha

[Guest markgamber]

I think "threats" is grossly overstating it. Show me how many phones have been infected by this so-called threat and maybe I'll give a rat's arse.

[Guest ga!nusha]

i agree with you but there are many peopele who install craked apps and games... you never know... :roll:

[Guest chucky.egg]

Is that some sort of admission there ga!nusha? :D

Seriously though, if you buy legitmate software, from legitimate sources you shouldn't have any problems at all for the time being.

[Guest ga!nusha]

:D

i use only legitmate software, from legitimate sources...

i was just pointing...

[Guest James]

Makes you wonder though... only takes one person to write a new FREE application or homescreen that when installed will hide a new Smartphone Virus on your phone..

what buggers!!!

[Guest hothands2]

Anyone heard of F-Secure mobile phone anti-virus software ?

[Guest extravagant]

You would have to download malicious code to be effected by a virus

also more importantly the virus would have to be written specifically for the phone. At the moment there are no listed viruses for the phone unlike symbian which have has a few.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm stupid, I downloaded a program from P2P, it crashed my phone. Maybe that was a virus? Also, the anti virus on the phone should be a continous running process to ensure security!

[Guest extravagant]

also, we need firewalls!!!!!!!

8) 8) 8)