Cell-phone Viruses
Cabir.A
First reported: June 2004
Attacks: Symbian Series 60 phones
Spreads via: Bluetooth
Harm: none
More information (including disinfection): http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/cabir.shtml
Skulls.A
First reported: November 2004
Attacks: various Symbian phones
Spreads via: Internet download
Harm: disables all phone functions except sending/receiving calls
More information (including disinfection): http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/skulls.shtml
Commwarrior.A
First reported: January 2005
Attacks: Symbian Series 60 phones
Spreads via: Bluetooth and MMS
Harm: sends out expensive MMS messages to everyone in phonebook (in course of MMS replication)
More information (including disinfection): http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/commwarrior.shtml
Locknut.B
First reported: March 2005
Attacks: Symbian Series 60 phones
Spreads via: Internet download (disguised as patch for Symbian Series 60 phones)
Harm: crashes system ROM; disables all phone functions; inserts other (inactive) malware into phone
More information (including disinfection): http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/locknut_b.shtml
Fontal.A
First reported: April 2005
Attacks: Symbian Series 60 phones
Spreads via: Internet download
Harm: locks up phone in startup mode; disables phone entirely
More information (including disinfection): http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/fontal_a.shtml
The Damage Done
The first known cell-phone virus, Cabir, is entirely innocuous. All it does is sit in the phone and try to spread itself. Other cell-phone viruses, however, are not as harmless.
A virus might access and/or delete all of the contact information and calendar entries in your phone. It might send an infected MMS message to every number in your phone book -- and MMS messages typically cost money to send, so you're actually paying to send a virus to all of your friends, family members and business associates. On the worst-case-scenario end, it might delete or lock up certain phone applications or crash your phone completely so it's useless. Some reported viruses and their vital statistics are listed below.
As you can see from the above descriptions, cell-phone viruses have gotten a lot more harmful since the Cabir worm landed in the hands of researchers in 2004. But on the bright side, there are some steps you can take to protect your phone.
