Android

Instagram Android clone contains malware, ramps up your phone bill

posted by Nick T. / Apr 19, 2012, 7:40 AM

Instagram Android clone contains malware, ramps up your phone bill

We have seen this happen before – an app goes viral, after which malicious clones plague the web trying to steal your personal data, or worse. Such is the case with Instagram: only about a week after the app was released on Android, a fake version of it has emerged from the depths of the Russian interwebs.

The bogus Instagram Android app is (or at lest was) available for download from a third-party web site, not from the Google Play store. Once installed, it attempts connecting to Russian networks, after which it sends text messages in the background to premium phone numbers, effectively generating money for the bad guys.

Not long ago, something pretty similar happened with Angry Birds Space. Several fake copies of the game stated circulating the web, and although they behaved like the actual game, the clones contained malware cleverly disguised as a JPEG file. A mischievous clone of Madden NFL 12 was also spotted in the wild several months ago.

In conclusion, we will reiterate that the Google Play store is the most reliable source for Android apps around. Downloading software from third-party sources always poses certain risks that might just not be worth taking.

source: Sophos via Android Authority

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21 Comments

1. taz89

Posts: 2014; Member since: May 03, 2011

well if youi dont download apps from known or trusted sources,than you should not be surprised...if you download anything such as ios/android apps,mac/pc softwares/movies,music etc that are not from trusted sources than getting malware is kind of obvious....someone reading just the title would think that the play store itself has the instagram clone there fore giving people the idea that the playstore is full of viruses.

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 8:09 AM 3

2. Zayuh24

Posts: 149; Member since: Nov 21, 2011

Agreed. Why download anything from a site you barely know about? Does credibility mean nothing nowadays? Sheesh

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 8:20 AM 1

4. taz89

it seems like google play store gets the heat even though most of these fake apps appear on illegal sites...

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 8:33 AM 4

7. protozeloz

Posts: 5396; Member since: Sep 16, 2010

and someone questioned the word Malware, as if being used imporpetly because android apps TELL the user http://www.theverge.com/2012/4/18/2958198/the-green-scare-android-malware

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 8:47 AM 0

6. protozeloz

specially when the app is free worldwide ON the Play Store......

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 8:37 AM 1

5. GENARAL.LEVY

Posts: 93; Member since: Apr 17, 2012

Did anyone download load this?

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 8:33 AM 0

8. iamcc

Posts: 1319; Member since: Oct 07, 2011

I did. Right after I bought a set of speakers from some guy who said they just fell off a truck! I got them for 90% off!

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 8:56 AM 0

9. GENARAL.LEVY

What a century bargain....

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 9:06 AM 0

10. good2great

Posts: 1042; Member since: Feb 22, 2012

android is free right? well this is what happens... typical 95% of smartphone users aren't smart like us. we research and make sure things are legit before downloading... thats only 5% of us tho...

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 9:29 AM 3

14. protozeloz

80% users that wont search outside of the market.... when you have a tap of an icon away from instagram (Play store) why you you do the following steps android ,market -open market -type instagram -install VS random site -open a browser -type instagram -skip the ovious play store link that appears on top of your search or the instagram web pay -look for random site that has hosted the bogus file -download it to your phone -enable 3rd party uploads -install

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 10:16 AM 3

11. eaxvac

Posts: 328; Member since: Jan 15, 2012

Lol spydroid

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 9:30 AM 3

17. GENARAL.LEVY

Lol you TROLL.......

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 11:13 AM 0

21. Sniggly

Posts: 7305; Member since: Dec 05, 2009

Oh hi there, dumbass! How are you today? I just wanted to point out, because you probably didn't read the article, but a user has to change a default setting and go download this malware off a Site other than the market to even get it. In other words, a user has to be about as big a dumbass as you are. Just trying to help.

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 2:09 PM 0

22. Non_Sequitur

Posts: 1111; Member since: Mar 16, 2012

God damn it. Stop going around posting spydroid, no one thinks you are cool or funny. You have to be as dumb as an iPhone user to download malware. Apple knows it, that's why they filter all apps on their store.

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 6:49 PM 0

12. RaKithAPeiRiZ

Posts: 1488; Member since: Dec 29, 2011

illuminati

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 9:32 AM 4

18. GENARAL.LEVY

Yeap.....

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 11:18 AM 0

13. kickinbass

Posts: 26; Member since: Aug 17, 2011

Thats the inly thing i dislike about android system is the apk download problems. Please get this resolved Google. This is what is hurting the Os. Its too easy to creat fraudulent apps

posted on Apr 19, 2012, 9:58 AM 2

15. protozeloz

as long as you have the option disabled no app can get through. unless you have the sudden urge to enable it and randomly install apps from not trusted sources..... SMH