Mobile phone rumor Terminator: Is a smartphone really infected with viruses?

With the rapid popularization of smartphones such as iPhone and Android and their increasingly powerful functions, the topic about mobile phone viruses is also getting hotter and hotter, and various anti-virus software for mobile phones are emerging one after another. But Will a small mobile phone be poisoned like a computer?

What kind of mobile phone may be poisoned?

Before verifying the rumors about "mobile phone viruses", we must first figure out another question: what kind of mobile phones are likely to be poisoned? Theoretically, almost all smartphones have risks of poisoning. However, due to the differences in openness, the security of various operating systems is also very different.

▲Only smartphones with certain openness can be poisoned

Taking the most popular iOS and Android systems as we all know, iOS is a very closed system, and Apple is very strict in managing system permissions, if an iPhone without jailbreak wants to install software, it can only use the official App Store. In this case, the possibility of iOS devices without jailbreak is basically 0, which is very safe. What about jailbroken iPhone or iPad? With the protection of system permissions disabled, the risks of virus poisoning are certainly higher than those without jailbreak, but so far there are still few iOS virus reports.

▲The possibility of iPhone poisoning is very small.

In this case, the Android system, known for its openness, is completely different. Google does not restrict the installation of Android mobile phone programs, even important permissions such as sending and receiving text messages and reading contacts are open to users. For Android phones that have Root users (obtained administrator permissions, similar to iOS jailbreak permissions, security issues are even more worrying. The vast majority of current reports on mobile phone viruses also come from the Android system. So today we are also mainly using Android phones to verify the "mobile phone virus" rumors.

▲Android mobile phone poisoning is much more common

Real machine verification to test the virus:

If you want to know if there is a virus on your phone, the most direct way is to find a mobile phone that is already infected with viruses. Therefore, Xiao Bian gave his teeth to HTC Desire, which has been with him for more than a year. The glorious and arduous task of trying drugs was handed over to him!

▲There is a long way to go, just relying on HTC Desire!

Although the Android system is known as a virus, it is not easy to find the virus. After all, no one will spread the virus that everyone knows on the website. After some searches, the editor finally determined the target:

▲Finally, determine the "couple location software" used to test the virus"

Before installing any software, please pay attention to the software permission prompt. If the software that does not need to send text messages requires your permission to send text messages, most of the problems may occur, do not install it as you like.

▲This stuff has a bunch of permissions that will allow me to pay for it silently

After installation, run the software and enter the normal operation interface. It seems that everything has been done well so far. However, the software immediately displays a dialog box Indicating "1 second lightning Update", but it does not mention the updated content.

▲1 second lightning update

After you click OK, a file named com. android. battery software installation interface, judging from the name this should be a battery-related program, couple Positioning Software needs to update a battery-related program this is strange enough, what's more strange is that this software with the name of the battery still requires the permission to write, send, and accept my text message and MMs!

▲Battery! Why does Shenma want to read my contact information ??

The little editor gritted his teeth and set the mobile phone to the flight mode (to prevent fee deduction). Then, the anti-virus software that was prepared before was installed. After a short scan, anti-Virus Software quickly prompts that there are two trojans on the mobile phone, which are described in detail:

▲Anti-virus software discovers these two little guys

Next, I am not eager to kill these two Trojans. I can see the two software in the app Management page of my mobile phone. Click Delete to delete the software, no virus has been detected after you use anti-virus software again. But is this the legendary "mobile phone virus "?

Is this a virus on the phone?

Although this pair of positioning software uses some means to confuse users, for example, to install a concealed fee deduction program on the user's mobile phone in an updated way, it is still very easy to clear, this seems to be a little different from what we understand as "virus", and this software only has an impact on the local machine and cannot be copied or disseminated.

▲Compared with computer viruses, mobile phone viruses are much simpler and more primitive

Let's take a look at the definition of computer viruses? According to the explanation in Baidu encyclopedia, "the compilation or insertion in computer programs damages computer functions or damages data, A group of Computer commands or program code that affect Computer usage and can be self-replicated is called Computer Virus ). It is destructive, reproducible, and contagious ."

▲Computer viruses like pandatv are highly reproducible.

It can be seen that this "mobile phone virus" is not exactly the same as the definition of "computer virus" in the traditional sense. In fact, currently, mobile phone viruses that fully comply with the definition of "computer viruses" are rare, and they are more likely to appear in the form of Trojans or malware. However, such malware is no less harmful than computer viruses in the traditional sense. trojans such as "couple locating software" can customize fee deduction services without the user's permission, it has a direct impact on users' economic interests.

▲Viruses on mobile phones are still dominated by malware

So can we directly call Trojans or malware on these mobile phones as "viruses? Small editors prefer the term "malware". Their destructive power, concealment, and so on cannot be compared with computer viruses we are familiar with. However, due to the particularity of mobile phones, they are more likely to cause direct harm to users. The term "malware" does not mean we can take them lightly, but we don't have to worry too much about it, as long as we keep an eye out when installing the software, the vast majority of mobile phone malware can be completely avoided.

Conclusion: rumors are partially confirmed.

Finally, let's share some of my personal experiences on preventing malware from Android phones:

1. Do not install applications with unknown sources;

2. Pay attention to the permission prompt before installing any application. If the permission requirement is obviously different from the software function, do not install it;

3. If there is no special need, your mobile phone will be much safer without Root (obtaining administrator privileges, commonly known as cracking;

4. Don't worry if you are poisoned. There are a lot of anti-virus software on your Android phone. You can clear it if you find an installed version. If a fee is maliciously deducted, you can call the carrier's customer service to claim a claim.