Android Trojan Records Phone Calls

jbrodkin writes "A new Android Trojan is capable of recording phone conversations, according to a CA security researcher. While a previous Trojan found by CA logged the details of incoming and outgoing phone calls and the call duration, new malware identified this week records the actual phone conversations in AMR format and stores the recordings on the device's SD card. The malware also 'drops a 'configuration' file that contains key information about the remote server and the parameters,' CA security researcher Dinesh Venkatesan writes, perhaps suggesting that the recorded calls can be uploaded to a server maintained by an attacker. Installation of the Trojan requires some user interaction, but the malware recreates the look and feel of the standard Android application installation process, and may fool some unsuspecting users."

Recording should be a basic function... ?

[acidradio]

So I have to rootkit my own phone in order to record anything but this trojan can just record everything on its own? What a scam! I'm glad it takes a virus writer to extract what I consider to be a basic functionality out of my phone.

Where's the Torjan part?

[Kenja]

This is an application that records phone calls. It tells you it will do this when you install it and it will require you opt to install it from an untrusted site after configuring your phone to allow such an action.

But then I guess "phone call recording app records phone calls" is less of an alarmist title.

Android is Windows 95 hell all over again

[Anonymous Coward]

Tons of untrusted binaries, a false sense of security and trojans, viruses and all that crap. I'm actually sad it took off.

I want all apps to run in a chroot jail. I want to dictate the app's permissions. I want to be able to see which hosts that an app communicates with (someone build a netstat -a with a fancy gui please - bonus points for getting it on the appstore without needing to root the phone (good luck)). The Google model of "we'll take good care of your data" needs to die. Fine, google can store my data, as long as it leaves my phone encrypted.

Sure, Android's user friendliness is quite good, but I give it's going in the wrong direction in so many other ways it's not even funny.