A new virus that specifically targets owners of Android based phones has been unleashed according to Russian security company, Kapersky Labs. The virus is designed to run up bills on third party services.
The SMS Trojan virus can be accidentally downloaded disguised as a media player that, once installed, will send out premium rate text messages to third party services.
According to Tech Radar in the UK, the Trojan-SMS.AndroidOS will target users of the new Samsung Galaxy S and HTC Desire.
Google said “Our application permissions model protects against this type of threat. When installing an application, users see a screen that explains clearly what information and system resources the application has permission to access, such as a user’s phone number or sending an SMS.
“Users must explicitly approve this access in order to continue with the installation, and they may uninstall applications at any time.
“We consistently advise users to only install apps they trust. In particular, users should exercise caution when installing applications outside of Android Market.”