[IP] final on more on Information about Mosquitos Trojan
Begin forwarded message:
From: Peter Lowe <pgl@xxxxxxxx>
Date: August 15, 2004 11:21:06 AM EDT
To: David Farber <dave@xxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: Re: [IP] more on Information about Mosquitos Trojan
For IP, if you like.
It's not a Trojan, it is there by design:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2004/08/11/mosquitos_malware_myth/
Mosquitos smartphone 'Trojan' there by design
By John Leyden
Published Wednesday 11th August 2004 13:31 GMT
The Mosquitos Symbian dialler Trojan is not really a Trojan horse after
all.
Many news outlets, including ourselves, reported that a "trojanised"
version of Mosquitos game for Symbian Series 60 smartphones was
circulating online and across P2P networks. Cracked versions of the game
secretly sends SMS messages to premium rate numbers, according to
reports on various online forums.
Illegal copies of the game display the following message on start-up:
"This version has been cracked by SODDOM BIN LOADER No rights reserved.
Pirate copies are illegal and offenders will have lotz of phun!!!"
Yesterday Symbian put out a statement which contributed to the
impression that malign code was inserted into 'cracked' versions of the
game by members of the computer underground. However it turns out that
the hidden SMS functionality, along with a message written in the best
vernacular VXer speak, was put in the game from the beginning by the
original games publisher Ojom.
In an advisory, AV firm F-Secure explains: "This functionality was
intended to be a copy-protecting technique - it didn't work as planned
and the whole functionality backfired.
"The premium rate contracts for the phone numbers have been terminated,
so although old versions of the game still send hidden SMS messages, it
only costs the nominal fee of sending the message itself. Current
versions of this game no longer have this hidden functionality, but
'cracked' versions of Mosquitos still float in P2P network - and they
still send these messages," it adds.
So what appeared to be a Trojan is actually a rather sneaky and somewhat
ineffective copy-protection technique. Proof that even if something
looks like a duck, talks like a duck and walks like a duck it isn't
necessarily Anas platyrhynchos.
Although the Mosquitos saga turns out to be an urban myth, the recent
discovery of the first malware capable of infecting smartphones shatters
the comforting belief the mobile phones are safe from viral infection.
The threat is very low at present but shouldn't be completely
discounted. Ž
On Aug 14, David Farber wrote:
Begin forwarded message:
From: Monty Solomon <monty@xxxxxxxxxx>
Date: August 14, 2004 1:57:12 AM EDT
To: undisclosed-recipient:;
Subject: Information about Mosquitos Trojan
http://www.symbian.com/press-office/2004/pr040810.html
Information about Mosquitos Trojan
Symbian is aware that an illegally adapted or 'cracked' game called
Mosquitos is being distributed by 'warez' websites (illegal software
download sites) and on peer-to-peer (P2P) networks. This game has
been illegally adapted from the legitimate Mosquitos game developed
by Ojom.
If installed by the user, the illegal game may cause the phone to
send text messages to premium rate numbers without the user's
approval or knowledge.
Symbian offers the following summary information and advice:
...
http://www.symbian.com/press-office/2004/pr040810.html
-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as pgl@xxxxxxxx
To manage your subscription, go to
http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
Archives at:
http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
--
The Czech Republic: Home of the world's finest beer.
Litres drunk by Czechs so far this year: 1,023,359,326.45
- http://prague.tv/toys/beer/
-------------------------------------
You are subscribed as roessler@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To manage your subscription, go to
http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip
Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/