Cabir virus spreads in US cell phones

RealEstateGates.com ^ | 2/22/2005 | Holden Daniels

[GeorgiaFreeper]

Cabir virus spreads in US cell phones

Cabir, the first ever cell phone virus, spreads hitting US. Mobile phone virus spotted on a smartphones combining both phone and computer functions which were displayed in a store in Santa Monica, California last week.

 

Infected handsets display the message “Caribe” when turned on. The worm scans for other phones using Bluetooth wireless connection and sends the spotted file spreading the virus.

 

Cabir, which mainly targets mobile operating systems Symbian, Windows Mobile and the one used by Japanese mobile operator NTT DoCoMo, also damages files and data and drains the cell phone battery.

 

"It's not the end of the world, but it does show us how more dangerous viruses or malicious viruses could spread, especially as the number of smartphones increases," Marie Clark, representative for F-Secure, said.

 

The responsibility for Cabir virus is claimed by a hacker called Vallez, who is the part of a group called 29A Labs. "Our goal is to create new, unique, interesting viruses," the group’s Web site says.

 

Infected phones display the text identifying the name of the virus as well as the author's initials and the name of the group. Anti-virus companies named it “Cabir” to avoid the publicity, which, according to analysts, is the main target of Vallez’s attacks.

 

Kari Hernandez, a spokeswoman for the Bluetooth special interest group, commented that it is “just a new place where you have to be smart, and you have to protect yourself."

 

[GeorgiaFreeper]

Now you have to worry about viruses on your cell phones if you have BlueTooth!

[newgeezer]

Cabir virus spreads in US cell phones

First thoughts: 1. No one else uses my phone. 2. These people need some Lysol. 3. (after reading) Oh, THAT kind of virus. Nevermind.

[Egon]

These people should be using Linux phones.

[GeorgiaFreeper]

When I first read the title, I thought it was related to this article from Wired: Hold the Phone, It's a Sex Toy

Giving new meaning to the term phone sex, a British company is selling software that transforms a cell phone into a sex toy.

[GeorgiaFreeper]

These people should be using Linux phones.

This OS is from a UK company http://www.symbian.com/

[JoJo Gunn]

ping

[talosiv]

Symbian, Windoze Mobile - must be a Euro viro-developer. Buy a Treo 650. Best overall "smartphone" on the market - and an American company also.

-R

[papertyger]

Uhm, here's a novel idea: turn off bluetooth until you're ready to use it!

[papertyger]

Buy a Treo 650. Best overall "smartphone" on the market

How do you figure that? It's got what, 240 x 240 screen, and handles lotusnotes?

[kenth]

Where's a Mac phone when you need it?

A long time ago, when working on the computer equivalent of a diseased crack addict, the owner asked me if the virii came through the air. With the advent of wifi, I'll be forced to tell them 'yes' from now on.

[Logical me]

When a phone was a phone, we got real service and with a smile. So much sh!! on the new phones, what in the heck do you expect. I hope the whole cell phone industry collapses. Maybe then we will regenerate and a phone will be a phone. Soon we will see so many regulations on camera phones it will make the use almost illegal. What the he!! is the purpose of camera phones anyway. And loudspeakers, come on. The first time I'm next to an assho!! that has it on and disturbers me, I'll crane him/her.