If you’re a Google Android phone user, you should be afraid. In the past two days, the largest weakness of the Android Market (if you were to ask Steve Jobs) is that there is no app moderation for new apps. In this case reported by AndroidPolice, the rogue app developer created more than 50 apps (that have been found) which contain Trojan virus code that is now referred to as the DroidDream virus. This code goes on to open a backdoor on your phone and “roots” it by using the “rageagainstthecage” rooting tool. Once installed, the mawlare can download additional computer viruses, spyware, or malware to the phone to steal your private information and/or banking data to do you or your reputation harm.

What Has Google Done to Address the Infected Apps?

In a surprisingly quick move, Google almost immediately pulled the apps from the store upon verification of the initial report of the distributed malware. More than 50,000 phones are acknowledged as being infected by the rogue apps with information still being collected if there were common malware or other programs downloaded to user’s phones. The identified apps will be automatically removed from the user’s phone, but there is no current ability to remove any additional spyware or malware that may have been deployed. Google has also patched the vulnerability in Android 2.3+, also called Gingerbread, to prevent the phone from being rooted by DroidDream.

Why Should You Be Afraid?

You don’t have to be an Android 2.3 or older user to be afraid. If someone you trust or uses their Android on your trusted network has had their phone compromised, then this widespread attack could place you or your company at risk. If there is a chance, your phone was infected, it has also been discovered that the infection will steal the phone’s IMEI, IMSI, product ID, language, country, user ID, and mobile provider without addressing the issue of “What else did it download to my computer??” Another question that the prudent Android user would also ask is “How much do I trust this app developer” when downloading any app! DroidDream will not be the last attack that we see on the Android OS or smart phones in general.

How Do You Remove DroidDream?

The known listing of the Apps that are infected with DroidDream is listed at the bottom of this post. If your phone has not been updated by Google and had the apps removed yet, check to see if you downloaded any of the infected programs, remove them, and install the patch from AndroidPolice to close the vulnerability on the phone to further malware downloads. If your phone has been updated, see if you can remember if you used any of the infected apps. If so, you can download a patch against the backdoor exploit from AndroidPolice, however, this does not guard you against other malware that was downloaded to the phone. To be fully safe, you will want to consider conducting a factory reset of the phone to ensure all malware has been removed. If you were lucky and did not download one of the rogue apps, then if your mobile provider and phone model have Gingerbread available, update your OS if possible. For more than 50,000 Android users, it will be a personal decision on how much risk they are willing to take by downloading the patch and hoping nothing else nefarious is installed on the phone.

The 50+ Malware Infected Android Apps

The infected apps from Google publisher Myournet that were originally reported by the AndroidPolice are:
Advanced Currency Converter
App Uninstaller
Chess
Dice Roller
Falling Down
Falling Ball Dodge
Funny Paint
Hilton Sex Sound
Hot Sexy Videos
Photo Edito
Screaming Sexy Japanese Girls
Scientific Calculator
Spider Man
Super Guitar Solo
Super History Eraser
Super Ringtone Maker
Super Sex Positions
躲避弹球
几何战机_PewPew
蜘蛛侠

Subsequently Found Infected Android Apps

Reported by Lookout and AndroidPolice:

Advanced App to SD
Advanced Barcode Scanner
Advanced Compass Leveler
Advanced File Manager
Advanced Sound Manager
Basketball Shot Now
Best password safe
Bubble Shoot
Color Blindness Test
Finger Race
Funny Face
Magic Strobe Light
Music Box
Magic Hypnotic Spiral
Omok Five in a Row
owling Time
Piano
Quick Notes
Quick Delete Contacts
Super Sexy Ringtones
Sexy Girls: Japanese
Sexy Legs
Supre Bluetooth Transfer
Super Stopwatch & Timer
Task Killer Pro
Tie a Tie
大家来找茬
桌上曲棍球
投篮高手
致命绝色美腿
墨水坦克Panzer Panic
裸奔先生Mr. Runner
软件强力卸载
掷骰子
多彩绘画