By Herman Lai, posted Aug 20, 2012 at 5:47 PM, 614 views,

Over 500,000 Devices in China Affected By a New Stubborn Android Malware

Since July, a new strain of malware has been attacking Android smartphones in China. A new malware dubbed “Trojan!SMSZombie” is spreading to Android handsets across China through apps on China’s largest apps marketplace GFan. The malware not only steals bank account details, but also generates unauthorized purchases. Allegedly, it is stubborn and hard to remove. Based on those things alone, you can paint a very worrying picture. But when considering it’s said as many as 500,000 devices are already infected, the situation seems to be even more severe.

The malware has been identified by mobile security vendor TrustGo a month ago, which has been found in seven wallpaper-type apps in Chinese android markets. This virus is a nasty piece of software. Once the app is downloaded on the phone, the malicious app displays a prompt to activate a new service that cannot be cancelled. After it’s been installed, the malware will intercept and forward a variety of SMS messages on your behalf.

For those who have already infected, the guys at TrustGo have a handy guide that you can manually removed the virus. They’re also working on an updated version of the app, which could automatically handle the virus. The update is scheduled for release before the end of the month.

Source: TrustGo via TNW