Tech Shout!

All you Windows Mobile PocketPC users beware, as you may perhaps fall prey to a new Trojan that’s doing the rounds of mobile phones having Microsoft’s Windows Mobile operating system.

McAfee and US Computer Emergency Response Team (US-Cert) have found a new Windows Mobile PocketPC Trojan that is installed through a memory card and sets itself as the device’s homepage. This uninstallable Trojan changes the phone’s security settings to the lowest level security, leaving the phone vulnerable to any impending threat and malware.

On a company blog, McAfee expert Jimmy Shah explained the exact way the Trojan works. First and foremost WinCE/Info Jack sends the infected device’s serial number, operating system and other significant data to the author of the Trojan. As mentioned earlier, the infected mobile device is left exposed to silent installation of malware. The Trojan modifies the infected device’s security setting to allow unsigned applications to be installed with no warning whatsoever.

Shah added that the Trojan was bundled inside a number of legal installation files and distributed extensively. It has been circulated with Google Maps, applications for stock trading and a compilation of games.

Shah has noted a list of features that WinCE/InfoJack includes, which basically show its malicious intent:

The Window Mobile PocketPC trojan that disables Windows Mobile application installation security has been traced to China.

As of now, US-Cert has advised users to install an anti-virus software on their mobile devices and keep its virus signature files up-to-date, and above all to take immense precautions while downloading and installing applications.