First Symbian OS virus to replicate over MMS 179
Shachaf writes "A new virus, CommWarrior.a, is the first to replicate over MMS (Multimedia Message Service). From the article: 'Multimedia Message Service (MMS) is a more advanced version of the Short Message Service (SMS) familiar to users of GSM based handsets around the world, and allows rich content such as pictures, sounds, video, and applications to be sent as well as text.', and '"With MMS messages typically costing between $0.25 and $1.00 CommWarrior could prove expensive to anyone unlucky enough to be infected by it. As the virus runs silently in the background it could be quite some time before the user becomes aware of the potentially hundreds of MMS messages that have been sent," said Aaron Davidson, CEO of SimWorks.'"
It's a bit offtopic, but.. (Score:2, Interesting)
Why wont anyone allow a flat-rate service? I mean.. it's data, but Im sure the cost of building the cellular networks should be paid off by now (excluding 3G).. at least here in sweden. (dont know how it's worldwide)
Re:First AV As well... (Score:3, Interesting)
Why is Symbian so insecure - surely an embedded OS is not difficult to harden? It is not as if the phone will be running lots of insecure services by default.
Another reason to stick with my simple phone!
Eh.. (Score:3, Interesting)
Are the customers reponsible for all the charges incurred from this virus? Being that it probably uses a flaw in the phone's OS itself.. how is this going to work?
Nobody is going to want fancy new fangled smart-phones if they get infected with viruses and run up your phone bill monthly..
If the virus sends a relatively uniform... (Score:5, Interesting)
Just don't install stuff you got over mms from.. (Score:3, Interesting)
this needs manual installation by the 'victim'!
not very likely to spread too far either - a lot of people don't have even the mms settings in place.
Looks like a trojan, not a virus (Score:4, Interesting)
CommWarrior periodically sends MMS messages to randomly selected contacts, including a copy of itself and one of several predefined text messages designed to encourage the recipient to install the application.
Doesn't really seem this is Symbian's fault, CommWarrior just behaves like a malicious application. The user obviously has to install it and then run it to get 0wned.
Of course, some sort of sandbox environment like in Microedition Java would have been a better design, but I guess Symbian simply wasn't built with something like this in mind. I know Nokia is pushing a model where only certified developers will be allowed to write applications that access sensitive functionality (dialing numbers, sending messages, etc.), but this is not a great solution. It will drive the cost of applications way up, and shaft all the small app developers, because only the big guys will have their apps signed by Nokia.
Um...it's transmitting (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:Just don't install stuff you got over mms from. (Score:3, Interesting)
This issue is easily solved (Score:3, Interesting)
The first Microsoft smartphone product had this feature turned on - normal joe's couldn't install software that hadn't been signed (the signing process usually costs $$ although recent efforts have reduced the cost).
Symbian *has* the same functionality. In fact, most commercial symbian software should now be signed, see Symbian Signed Symbian also has the functionality to disallow users to install unsigned programs. It is just that this feature is turned off by default (at least on the phones that I have seen).
Theoretically, all an operator needs to due is send an OTA message to turn on signing verification. This is easily done on a windows mobile and presumable via WAP push on Symbian. We probably will see operators start to turn on signing requirements by default on symbian phones (hopefully with the capability for users to turn it off so they can install freeware if they so choose).
Actually, it may be a good thing. (Score:3, Interesting)
Hard Reset (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:That sucks, yeah, but look at the bright side! (Score:3, Interesting)
Apples to oranges. (Score:1, Interesting)
Eh, look at it this way, does Microsoft write viruses? After all, it's really suspicious that you hear about vulnerabilities and there are already viruses that take advantage!
Except that Microsoft doesn't charge you for its service packs, whereas anti-virus companies charge you for their products. Microsoft says, "A flaw has been discovered, here is the patch to download." Norton/Symantec/etc say, "Here is a new virus. You can download the latest signature files if you have purchased $PRODUCT, or you can purchase $PRODUCT now for only $AMOUNT to protect yourself."
Of course, that's ignoring the fact that Microsoft generally does not acknowledge a flaw until they have a working patch, even if it is months after the flaw has been publically exposed.
Apples to oranges.
Re:Just don't install stuff you got over mms from. (Score:2, Interesting)
Well, anyways there is times when people except messages from certain providers. Like when people are arrive to a new country they are quite accustomed to a welcome to a new country messages.
As an example I know a case where one of our customers did accept Cabir over bluetooth because it was send with a sender name of a local operator. Unfortunatily I can't see a difference in a MMS case. User that thinks that he's getting updates/welcome message for his current country propably will accept the message.
And for the last part.... at least in Finland most new user will have MMS settings in place (i.e. they may get them automatically depending on the operator).
Already being filtered (Score:3, Interesting)
The only problem is indeed the cost of sending these messages. I do hope that operators are not charging customers for these undelivered messages.