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maflynn

macrumors Haswell
May 3, 2009
73,419
43,307
Unfortunately in this day and age, its all to possible to have something sneak in.
 

ChazUK

macrumors 603
Feb 3, 2008
5,393
25
Essex (UK)
yes but this is a phone which is much more worrisome esp for some one who stores personal information like email contacts etc.
There is some discussion in another thread on the matter. Regardless, if an iPod or a phone contains a virus, it will not execute on the phone or iPod but will affect any unsecured computers it connects to.

From another thread here:
---
There are countless other articles about it all over the internet. http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?newsid=3214742&pagtype=allchandate

<snip>
----
Interesting read cmaier!

The malware programs were on the phone's 8GB microSD memory card, which mounts as an external drive when plugged into a PC, Bustamante said.


http://androidcommunity.com/vodafone-htc-magic-review-20090515/
In the box there’s the Magic itself, a 1,340mAh battery, 2GB microSD card, AC adapter, USB cable, wired stereo headset, hands-free adapter (for using your own 3.5mm headphones) and a leather-effect pouch.

Where did this 8GB Micro SD card come from? :p
http://shop.vodafone.co.uk/shop/mobile-phone/htc-magic
From what I've seen the Magic ships with a 2GB Micro SD card but the virus was found on an 8GB Micro SD card. A little inconsistent to say the least.
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
This has nothing to do with Android.

It has to do with someone getting a virus onto their memory card in disk mode and then returning it with the phone to the carrier to be used again.

The HTC Magic phone has been on the market for more than a year, so it's unlikely that the malware programs were installed at the factory. "It would have popped up earlier," Bustamante said.

What is more likely is that the phone was purchased by someone else, the microSD card became infected after the phone was plugged into an infected PC, and then the phone returned to Vodafone.

All it means is that the carrier didn't wipe the card before using it again. Very much like when people used to find someone else's data on refurb'd iPhones at first.
 

Rodimus Prime

macrumors G4
Oct 9, 2006
10,136
4
This has nothing to do with Android.

It has to do with someone getting a virus onto their memory card in disk mode and then returning it with the phone to the carrier to be used again.



All it means is that the carrier didn't wipe the card before using it again. Very much like when people used to find someone else's data on refurb'd iPhones at first.

But but the truth and logic kills the entire story......

That is not allowed here on macrumors were lies and rumors bashing non apple products are the only way to go.
 

DaveSW

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 6, 2010
379
0
Especially since it was JUST ONE PHONE.

Not the "Phones" in the title or quote that DaveSW put up. Perhaps the article was corrected after he copied it here?


if one phone could infect multiple computers and cause so much trouble then imagine thousands or millions of infected android phones.
 

DaveSW

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 6, 2010
379
0
This has nothing to do with Android.

It has to do with someone getting a virus onto their memory card in disk mode and then returning it with the phone to the carrier to be used again.



All it means is that the carrier didn't wipe the card before using it again. Very much like when people used to find someone else's data on refurb'd iPhones at first.


it was a brand new phone according to the article.
 

FX120

macrumors 65816
May 18, 2007
1,173
235
if one phone could infect multiple computers and cause so much trouble then imagine thousands or millions of infected android phones.

Right, but it's still not a flaw of the android OS. The virus didn't execute on the phone, it was just picked up by the memory card and sat there.

If this was a digital camera, would it be news?
 

kdarling

macrumors P6
if one phone could infect multiple computers and cause so much trouble then imagine thousands or millions of infected android phones.

It was just one computer, caused no trouble, and was noticed right away by the antivirus software.

All the dramatic possibilities that were conjectured in the article were not actual events.

it was a brand new phone according to the article.

A single author often has an agenda. Read more stories to get a better view.

Other articles, such as this one from MacWorld, point out that it most likely was a returned or refurb'd unit.

In any case, it had nothing to do with Android. This kind of thing has happened before with memory cards, although usually it happens because the manufacturer used an infected PC to format the cards.
 

yg17

macrumors Pentium
Aug 1, 2004
15,027
3,002
St. Louis, MO
it was a brand new phone according to the article.

It wouldn't be the first time, and it won't be the last time that someone buys a product, doesn't like it, returns it and the retailer turns around and sells it as brand new.

Epic fail.
 

DaveSW

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 6, 2010
379
0
the FACT that someone created an Anti-Virus App for Android Phones is absolutely hilarious and says a lot about Android. :eek:
 

Rodimus Prime

macrumors G4
Oct 9, 2006
10,136
4
the FACT that someone created an Anti-Virus App for Android Phones is absolutely hilarious and says a lot about Android. :eek:

Yet if you took the time to read it. What it protects against is the same viruses that the iPhone can and would spread. The "viruses/malware" are resting in the flash memory and will edit the autoplay file on it which in turn loads up the malware. the iPhone has flash memory section can can be accessed like a flash drive on a computer.

The AV software is effectually protecting the Android from spreading in malware that any flash memory would spread.

The iPhone can spread that malware part of the phones memory can be accessed like any flash drives memory can.

Damn simple logic beats the fanboy again.
 

DaveSW

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Feb 6, 2010
379
0
Yet if you took the time to read it. What it protects against is the same viruses that the iPhone can and would spread. The "viruses/malware" are resting in the flash memory and will edit the autoplay file on it which in turn loads up the malware. the iPhone has flash memory section can can be accessed like a flash drive on a computer.

The AV software is effectually protecting the Android from spreading in malware that any flash memory would spread.

The iPhone can spread that malware part of the phones memory can be accessed like any flash drives memory can.

Damn simple logic beats the fanboy again.

Things like these are more likely to happen on Android phones than on the iPhone due to the "open" nature of Android.


with the good comes the bad is all i'm saying :)
 

Rodimus Prime

macrumors G4
Oct 9, 2006
10,136
4
Things like these are more likely to happen on Android phones than on the iPhone due to the "open" nature of Android.


with the good comes the bad is all i'm saying :)

Ummm what you are saying is standard Apple good everything else sucks.

I pointed out that the "viruses" it protects against are the same ones that can be spread by the iPhone and the iPhone offers ZERO protection from it. Hell on the JB iPhones viruses are already out in the wild on it.
 

LeviG

macrumors 65816
Nov 6, 2006
1,277
3
Norfolk, UK
Doesn't look like it's been mentioned and just in case anyone is interested.

The virus was on the SD card not the phone itself, android allows sd cards to be seen like a removable drive so obviously confused the antivirus expert until he eventually updated his post in the comments :rolleyes:

Mind you it did get some additional page hits to his/their blog and free advertising for their antivirus software :rolleyes:
 

FX120

macrumors 65816
May 18, 2007
1,173
235
Things like these are more likely to happen on Android phones than on the iPhone due to the "open" nature of Android.


with the good comes the bad is all i'm saying :)

Which is why Linux users are fighting off viruses and malware left and right... :rolleyes:
 
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