Submission + - Silent, easily made Android root kit at Black Hat (electronista.com)
An anonymous reader writes: Not only did they make it an App but they gave it out on DVD! (I guess that's better than putting it on Google's marketplace).
(They claim) they did this to prompt Google to issue a fix. However, since the carriers seem to be very slow in updating the Android OS for their phones (a substantial number, perhaps a majority have never received an update), when can we expect a fix to get to the millions of phones out there? Compare this to the Apple ecosystem which received an update for their (admittedly widely publicized) Antennagate issue within weeks (whether or not it actually fixed anything is another question). In general Apple devices are (forcibly?) updated much more quickly. Perhaps this is because of his holinesses... I mean Steve Jobs powers of persuasion. ;)
From the link:
"SpiderLabs showed a rootkit at the Black Hat conference today that could compromise an Android phone without its owner's knowledge. The exploit, handed out on DVD at the hacking and security meetup, would let the wielder get complete control and personal data from an Android phone without triggering alerts. Team lead Nicholas Percoco said the app took just two weeks to build and would affect even modern Android 2.1 devices such as the HTC Desire and Legend."
(They claim) they did this to prompt Google to issue a fix. However, since the carriers seem to be very slow in updating the Android OS for their phones (a substantial number, perhaps a majority have never received an update), when can we expect a fix to get to the millions of phones out there? Compare this to the Apple ecosystem which received an update for their (admittedly widely publicized) Antennagate issue within weeks (whether or not it actually fixed anything is another question). In general Apple devices are (forcibly?) updated much more quickly. Perhaps this is because of his holinesses... I mean Steve Jobs powers of persuasion.
From the link:
"SpiderLabs showed a rootkit at the Black Hat conference today that could compromise an Android phone without its owner's knowledge. The exploit, handed out on DVD at the hacking and security meetup, would let the wielder get complete control and personal data from an Android phone without triggering alerts. Team lead Nicholas Percoco said the app took just two weeks to build and would affect even modern Android 2.1 devices such as the HTC Desire and Legend."
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Silent, easily made Android root kit at Black Hat
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