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Fake pirated Walk and Text Android app embarrasses pirates and steals sensitive data
When the fake app is launched it throws up a simulated dialog showing the Walk and Text app being 'cracked,' but actually what it's doing is collecting your private information including your IMEI, phone number, username, and scanning your address book. The virus then attempts to send that information back to a remote server, but also sends out an SMS to everyone in your address book with the text shown above and a warning that the application isn't licensed with links to buy the real thing:
Symantec has dubbed the malicious application as the Android.Walkinwat Trojan and categorised it with a 'Very Low' risk level 1. While we can agree with the developer's sentiment, we can't condone their actions; but if you get hit by this Trojan and a nasty invasion of privacy, you've only got one person to blame.
Comments
15
Subscribe to commentsPierluigiMar 31st 2011 4:41AM
To steal a 1$ app is ridiculous.
Samuel GibbsMar 31st 2011 5:20AM
@Pierluigi agreed, but then some people will pirate almost anything.
DuckMar 31st 2011 5:51AM
Haha, that's awesome.
At least it's not as bad as the Mac App that when cracked erases your home drive....
JadeMar 31st 2011 5:58AM
My friend is launching legal action against the developer. He got the app to trail, which he does for all paid apps. He's bought many of the ones he downloaded, and deleted the ones he didn't like. The fake app that the developer released includes no warning of what it does, which makes them solely responsible. He's been told by his lawyer he's a 100% chance of success if the developer doesn't settle out of court. You can't just steal someones private data (what does he do with the IMEI, phone number, address book, username, etc. that he stole off you?) and neither can you cost someone money by sending unsolicited text message. Also under the law the recipients of the SMS messages can take action as well (although it's not worth it for what they'll get), as can anyone whose details the developer stole when he got the address book details from the original phone (and they can get a lot).
TingMar 31st 2011 4:02PM
@Jade If your friend has the capacity to buy and even delete those ones he/she bought, why go to some pirated stuff? Sometimes lessons in life are learned the hard way.
LuluMar 31st 2011 7:17AM
@Jade While I find the whole thing hilarious, it's definitely justifiable for your friend to sue the app creator because how would a normal user tell if the malicious app didn't indicate anything about piracy.
It just appears as an app on sale to trick users into getting it - another case of malicious app stealing user info, except it's pretending to do something right.
I'm with you on this one.
HHUKMar 31st 2011 10:44AM
@Jade
"You can't just steal someone's private data"
You can't just steal someone's work either. If you stole someone's car and the owner of the car drove into you with another one, you'd still be in trouble for stealing in the first place. The court wouldn't care what possessions of yours got damaged in a situation like that, they'd just want the thief to go down.
"and neither can you cost someone money by sending unsolicited text message"
And neither can you cost someone by stealing two bucks worth, they're just getting a buck back off you. If you were mugged in the street for two bucks you'd be well within your rights to take them down and take your money back, as well as gather any information on them to use in court if you wished to press charges.
I love piracy, it does help you try out software but that's what demonstration versions are for, if a company doesn't provide one you can ask nicely or go find a review online. Some smaller developers have even simply gifted me a serial number when I've enquired about trying it out.
Frankly, if I got stung by this I'd be too busy laughing and congratulating them rather than to start up a lawsuit over a buck or two.
MarkyB86Mar 31st 2011 1:23PM
@Jade for real? Gonna sue the people he was trying to steal from? Almost like the guy that broke into a house and called the cops on the owner when she got home?
Stephen PaceMar 31st 2011 1:28PM
@Jade "Your friend STOLE the app to trial" - the reason he did isn't important. If the developer wanted a free trial version available, he would have made one. You steal you get what you get. Your friend's lawyer will tell your friend to forget about it.
SamMar 31st 2011 6:17AM
It is their own fault, but stealing all that info and spending possibly hundreds of pounds of their money is soo much worse.
I'm too lazy to pirate apps. It's easier just to buy them, but I'd stay away from apps made by people who don't have much care for people's privacy.
Samuel GibbsMar 31st 2011 1:17PM
@Lulu It wasn't on sale, it was released via some known app piracy sites. It wasn't just in the Android Market or something like that, you'd have to be trying to pirate it to install it and fall foul of the Trojan.
willgkApr 1st 2011 12:33AM
@Jade, While on this note we do agree, legal action should be brought down swiftly and punishingly against the jerk that did this. Where is your friend located, and where is the developer located. If I remember correctly you are located in Australia? If your friend is also in Australia and the developer is say in the United States, how do you plan on filing a law suit on him. Also ... sheesh are you sure you aren't American, you sure are as suit happy as we are... This is like the 4 or 5th post I've seen you screaming for law suits in! I think you should just move to the states and get it over with ;) That would make it easier to file your law suits hah! (BTW this was me trying to be humorous don't take offense to it)
RebeccaApr 1st 2011 5:29AM
@willgk Yes I'm in Australia. If the developer is in the US, then that's the 2nd best place to be after Australia. US and Australia have an agreement on civil suits that they'll be honoured. The case can even be heard in an Australian court. If they're not in the US, NZ or Australia then it could be tougher. But even if they're in Europe or Asia they violated criminal laws in most countries in those areas
If the owner released a fake version he needs to include a warning with the fake version (and can also include it with the real version) stating what the app does if you use a cracked version - and be sure to tell people that the version they're using is cracked prior to any malicious activities. If he did that then he's in the clear.
He committed theft of money (sending text messages without consent), defamation (saying this person is stupid, cheap and a thief), theft of private information (all the personal details - and the contact details of people on your contact list who was not
even involved in the download)
And on your comment "I think you should just move to the states and get it over with ;) That would make it easier to file your law suits hah! (BTW this was me trying to be humorous don't take offense to it)" - I'm pretty sure Australia is more litigious than the US (US and Australia are 1-2 in the world anyway for cases per capita) :)
@Stephen Pace - my friends lawyer didn't tell him to forget about it. He told him that he's a 100% chance of winning, and took him on a no-win-no-fee case.
Even if he did steal it - and he didn't, he trailed it - you can't do that. Same as if someone breaks into your house you can't do whatever you want to them. It needs to be reasonable force. The developer went way over reasonable and all that was needed was in the cracked version stopping you use it and a simple message saying "not licensed. buy app".
@HHUK If you stole a car then the owner drove into you with another car - the car owner can be sued if the car thief is injured physically or psychologically
anow118Mar 31st 2011 6:35PM
@HHUK
You're right, because when you steal someones car, they lose their car. When you steal an app, the owner loses the app.
Ughh, Piracy hurts so many people!
If I didn't pirate what I do pirate, I would have never bought the applications in the first place. However, many users have bought applications that I have (illegally) because of me.
People like you need to realize that pirating doesn't hurt anyone, it helps in 99% of cases. You look at things as black and white. There is some gray.
DevelopersApr 8th 2011 8:54AM
Rebecca,
We are very sorry to hear what happened to your friend.
However, as stated elsewhere, we have nothing to do with this file. This file was posted on many torrents and as you might know, there is no way we can file DMCA complaints against those torrent websites. There was no collection of personal information and I can understand your friend's frustration, but he should look at the people hosting the file on the torrents for justice.
We could however give your friend a refund of our original and only available on the android market app, just email us for a refund if you were a victim of this file.