Sophisticated Android Exploit Spreads

Kaspersky Labs recently reported that it had analyzed a very sophisticated attack against Android devices. Backdoor.AndroidOS.Obad.a, or "Obad" for short, exploits unpublished exploits to install itself, remain undetected, and allow remote attackers to send commands to the device via SMS.

Besides installing itself and allowing remote attackers full access to the device, Obad downloads additional malware to the target device, runs up phone charges by sending SMS messages to premium-rate services, and spreads malicious files to other devices via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections.

It appears that the app can only infect devices which have been configured to allow apps to install from third-party sources.

Dan Goodin reports that Google has updated functionality to detect the malware and provide a warning to users when it is downloaded from an app source or browser.

Some security experts have warned of the danger posed by attackers who compromise a trusted developer's credentials and use them to upload malware to trusted download sites.

Fortunately, the attack does not appear to be widespread yet, based on analysis by Kaspersky.