Linux and viruses (or virii)

[arochester]

So... Linux is supposed to be relatively free of viruses. Is the Android phone bringing this to an end?

Android's mobile operating system is based upon a modified version of the Linux kernel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)

Android hit by rogue app viruses http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-12633923

[toad]

Re: Linux and viruses (or virii)

Well, it makes sense to put viruses on android IF you then connect it to your windows pc

EDIT:

Oops, just read the article and it doesn't look good - appears to be mainly games which are affected though.

What this Rik Ferguson writes in his blog is more than questionable though, liking the openness of Facebook to that of Android. A right specialist we have there...

[The Liquidator]

Re: Linux and viruses (or virii)

So far as I am able to tell, the freedom of the Android Market permitted someone to download apps, infect them with malware, and post them back up again. Once Google found out about it I understand they pulled the apps from the market within 5 minutes, and were able to remove all phone installations.

This raises the point that Android is simply another distro and Google is a distributor. They ought to exercise the same care as all other ditributors to vet these apps for malware before allowing them on the market. So long as they simply impose quality control, rather than control of the Apple Kind, I believe that would fix the problem. Hopefully this will be a wake up call.

[GreyGeek]

Re: Linux and viruses (or virii)

Liquidator has it right.

Google is not vetting the source code, some of which is proprietary. Only FOSS code can be requested for inspection. Google *should be* running all binaries through their own AV detection software BEFORE they are put on the website for sale or download.

Sloppy programming. The app makers were not incorporating tamper resistant code or other methods to prevent hijacking the binary and adding malware. I've read that Google hasn't removed all of the suspected apps yet because they are "actively testing". There are at least four methods that can be used by programmers to protect their code, as shown here.

Android users can chose from a couple dozen Android AV products. LayOut is free, as are some of the others listed here.