Is Android smartphones used in botnets? Security issues of smart mobile platforms are becoming increasingly prominent

Botnets generally refers to a large illegal network of desktops or laptops infected with malware. They are often used to attack other devices on the network or send a large amount of spam. Recently, researchers Terry Zink found evidence that Android devices began to use Yahoo Mail to send spam.

Terry accidentally found that a typical spam email from Yahoo Mail Server contains the following information string:

Message-ID: <1341147286.19774.androidMobile@web140302.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>

In addition,"Sent from Yahoo! Mail on Android.

Terry inferred that all such information was sent after logging on to Yahoo mail using Android devices. The IP address in Yahoo Mail can be used to locate the sending device. The positioning result points to: Chile, Indonesia, Lebanon, Oman, Philippines, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, Ukraine, and Venezuela. What problems do these countries have? We will find that most of them are developing countries like China. Compared with developed countries, these countries have fewer security measures and are more likely to infect malware.

Compared with Apple's App Store, Google Play, the official App Store for Android, is less rigorous in application review, but malware is still difficult to access. However, many users choose unofficial free/cracked versions to use popular paid apps such as angry birds for free. From allowing your Android smartphone to install apps in unofficial stores, you have opened the door for malware intrusion.

The same problem may be more serious in China. Developers outside China generally provide download links for the app store or Google Play on the official website, while domestic developers prefer to provide direct download links. Many applications may be tricky and intended. This practice of more normal applications actually leaves a breeding ground for malware and will eventually cause damage to both developers and users.