First virus targeting mobile phones discovered

Cabir worm not expected to cause widespread infections

print this

The world’s first virus targeting mobile phones has been discovered. It is a worm named Cabir, and was reported on Tuesday by the Finnish data security firm F-Secure. The worm has not thus far been located in mobile handsets, but in principle it can be transmitted and could spread through the new smart phones using bluetooth technology and the Symbian operating system.
      The worm does not actually cause the user of the phone any great harm, but its existence proves that the technology is now there for the writing of mobile phone viruses and that it has reached the ears of virus-writers.
     
Apparently the worm was developed by a group who normally specialise in computer viruses, and who have sent it to the A-V experts as a sample of their abilities.
      "The Cabir worm is functionally totally capable of spreading, if it were to be released into the wild", commented Matias Impivaara, Business Manager, Mobile Security Services at F-Secure.
      "If for example an infected phone were to be carried in the user’s pocket through the city centre rush-hour, it could infect thousands of other phones along the way."
      Cabir infects the Symbian operating system used in a number of makes of phone, including those manufactured by Nokia and Siemens, and it spreads through the new bluetooth wireless technology also found in several new mobile phones. If the worm succeeds in penetrating the phone, it writes the word "Caribe" on the display screen and is then activated every time that the phone is switched on.
      It is able to scan for phones that are also using bluetooth technology and is able to reproduce by sending a copy of itself to the first suitable handset that it finds.
     
The worm is polite enough to ask the user for permission to install a file named caribe.sis on the phone. If the user accepts the file, the virus is activated. Naturally, security experts warn phone users - like computer users - against downloading dodgy files that they are not sure of.
      Smart phones using the Series 60 platform, such as the Nokia 6600 and 7610 models, can be fitted with their own anti-virus software, but the user himself or herself must do the installation.
      A Nokia spokesman commented that at present there are no plans for automatic virus protection as standard on mobile handsets, given that the threat of viruses is thus far minimal.
      Nevertheless, it may only be a matter of time before this situation changes, as more and more sophisticated phones enter the market.
      F-Secure issues the advisory that not only manufacturers but also operators and service providers would do well to provide virus protection services to mobile users.


Links:
  F-Secure: Cabir

Helsingin Sanomat