Kasperksy discovers most sophisticated Android Trojan

Kaspersky Labs recently posted at the SecureList.com blog page that they have discovered what appears to be “the most sophisticated Android Trojan,” the Backdoor.AndroidOS.Obad.a

Roman Unuchek, a Kaspersky Lab Expert, wrote that the Android Trojan is “a multi-functional Trojan, capable of the following: sending SMS to premium-rate numbers; downloading other malware programs, installing them on the infected device and/or sending them further via Bluetooth; and remotely performing commands in the console.” Kaspersky Lab’s products detect the malicious program as Backdoor.AndroidOS.Obad.a.

The Backdoor.AndroidOS.Obad.a uses a series of previously unknown Android exploits and advanced concealment techniques to infect an Android device. The infection most likely starts as an innocent app or command asking for administrator privileges. Once installed the malicious application cannot be deleted and further digs into the system by obtaining root privileges.

The malware then collects the following information then communicates them to its owner’s server in encrypted form:

* MAC address of the Bluetooth device
* Name of operator
* Telephone number
* IMEI
* Phone user’s account balance
* Whether or not Device Administrator privileges have been obtained
* Local time

Once the information listed above is sent, the malware owners can then execute commands on the infected device through SMS, eliminating the need for a working internet connection. From there the infected device can stealthily send charged SMS and spread to other devices via Bluetooth.

According Unuchek, the Backdoor.AndroidOS.Obad.a “looks closer to Windows malware than to other Android Trojans in terms of its complexity and the number of unpublished vulnerabilities it exploits.”

The good news is, despite its advanced capabilities, the malware isn’t widespread. Kaspersky Labs also already informed Google about the Device Administrator vulnerability in Android.

To conclude, as Android devices become more advanced, malware catering to this open source OS is rapidly evolving as well. It is still advisable to use mobile security solutions and practice caution when installing apps especially those coming outside the Google Play Store.

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