Beware of Zeus, the Trojan hits Android devices

The infamous Zeus Trojan has found its way to Android smartphones, a potentially devastating event.

Security firm Fortinet says Zeus, which hijacks bank accounts, is now being used by criminals "to steal one-time passwords sent by banks to authenticate mobile transactions."

The attack comes via Trusteer's Rapport software, which is used to confirm that users are securely logged into their bank's online site.

"In the background, [Zeus] listens to all incoming SMS messages and forwards them to a remote Web server," says Fortinet.

Criminals can then steal money or other credentials from within the portal.

For now, if you do not use a protective app like AVG or Lookout, simply don't log into your bank from your Android device.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 14 Jul 2011 14:58

KillerBug

I can't believe no one has posted on this...it is so obvious that I didn't think I would need to...

First, you don't need AVG or Lookout...that is just silly. Ignoring the fact that these apps slow the phone terribly and don't actually do anything, this is not a virus, it is a Trojan. You have to manually install it yourself. Not only that, but it disguises itself as a part of a security suite, so telling people to install security apps on Android is what started the problem in the first place.

Anyway, it is just a Darwin test. After all, this disguises itself as an add-on to a 3rd party app that does nothing but record passwords when users tell the browser not to record passwords. Why someone would want such an app is beyond me, and why someone would install a 4th-party add-on for it just boggles the mind. I mean, if you want your passwords to be in the hands of some no-name 3rd party, it would be easier to just send them in an email rather than installing an app from the market.

http://www.killerbug.net

16.7.2011 03:54 #1

IguanaC64

I mostly ignored this article because I didn't find any useful info in it. No information on how it can get on your phone/what app(s) can infect your phone/no links to other places to read about it. I believe I even did a search for a few key terms in this article and found nothing useful.

18.7.2011 10:53 #2

buxtahuda

KB,

I would have gladly jumped on it, but I forget to check this place often enough :/

I've often wondered why there are even "anti-viruses" for the system since EVERYTHING is manually (or close to) installed through the .apk's. But alas, the world is idiots and it will ok and install anything without paying attention. Just like how I've always wondered why in the world people have (and attempt to use) like a million different toolbars on a web browser.

~*Livin' Electronicallly*~

18.7.2011 12:37 #3

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