Locals Hit By Mobile Virus That Sends Lewd Messages
By Rosli Abidin Yahya

Bandar Seri Begawan - Several mobile phone users recently experienced the real danger of a virus attacking their sets through Multi-media Messaging Service (MMS), when the virus spread by sending messages to all their contacts listed in the infected phones' address books.

Some callers told the Borneo Bulletin that the virus sent dirty messages to all their contacts, causing them embarrassment, for which they had to provide explanations as to what had happened.

Owners of infected phones also faced huge charges resulting from the unintentional sending of messages to everyone listed in the address books.

The phone owners said they did not realise that the messages containing the viruses were sent by them as the messages did not appear in the MMS Sent Box.

"Actually, the sent messages were kept in the Sent Box for only a few minutes. After that, the virus erased them.

"Users of infected phones did not realise that the virus had sent messages until they were alerted by recipients," said one of the affected phone owners.

The sole mobile phone provider in the country, DST Communications, advised owners of infected phones to switch off their sets and send them to service centre to have them reformatted.

According to a local phone security firm, the virus - Comm Warrior - has the potential of spreading globally via MMS.

Up until now, mobile phone viruses have only been able to replicate locally, by using Bluetooth wireless technology.

CommWarrior, which attacks Symbian Series 60 platform phones, is able to do this too, but in a critical evolution in phone viruses, now also has the ability to randomly send a message to an infected phone's contact list.

A spokesperson from the security firm said users need to download a file sent with the text in order to infect their phones.

"This ability is similar to that seen in email viruses, where the virus replicates by sending itself to e-mail addresses listed in the infected PC's address book.

"Users are much more likely to open these e-mails, as they often appear to have been sent by someone they know.

"The virus, CommWarrior creates unwanted billing for the owners of infected phones by sending messages without user interaction.

"None of today's mobile viruses can install themselves without the user accepting the standard security warnings," he said, adding that the virus appeared to have come from Russia. -- Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

Click Here To Have Your Say On This Story

Brudirect.com News