Despite
Symantec’s warning to the contrary, Android.Counterclank is not malware,
according to researchers at Lookout Mobile Security.
Android.Counterclank
is a botlike threat that can receive commands from remote servers to carry out
certain actions, as well as steal information from infected devices, Symantec
researcher Irfan Asrar wrote on the company’s
Symantec Security Response blog Jan. 27.
The
security firm estimated anywhere from 1 million to 5 million users had been
infected by what it called malware via 13 different applications found on the
official Android Market. Symantec described the Android.Counterclank code as a
Trojan that is available “as an
application package” from iApps7, Ogre Games and remicapps.
The
claims were overblown, according to researchers at Lookout Mobile Security. Symantec
identified a package, Apperhand, that was included in each of the 13
applications, as the offending code. When executed, a service of the same name
runs on the device and a search icon is included on the home screen, Symantec
said.
While
the “average Android user” would probably not want Apperhand running
on his or her device, there is “no evidence” of “outright
malicious behavior” by Apperhand at this time, according to Lookout.
Malware
is designed to engage in malicious behavior and can be used to steal personal
information from the mobile device, according to Lookout. Apperhand doesn’t do
any of those things. The things Apperhand does, such as placing search icons on
the home screen and pushing advertisements on to the notifications bar, are capabilities
that can be found in similar “more aggressive” ad networks, Lookout
said.
“We
disagree with the assessment that this is malware, although we do believe that
the Apperhand SDK is an aggressive form of ad network and should be taken
seriously,” Lookout said in its blog post.
Symantec
said Apperhand was packaged in 13 applications on the Android Market, including
games such as Counter Strike Ground Force, Balloon Game and Sexy Girls Puzzle.
In an update posted Jan. 30, Symantec Security Response said that Apperhand
found in Counterclank applications helps app developers monetize their
applications using search.
The
question over whether or not Counterclank is malware is similar to
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Article Source: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/AndroidCounterclank-an-Aggressive-Mobile-Ad-Network-Not-Malware-Lookout-125303/