Captain Beer
25-02-2006, 12:04 PM
My father has a 6680, and while at the airport he recived three messages with weird names like 34rghik_cid.sis and it says they have something to do with bluetooth. What are they?
View Full Version : Mobile virusses
adsl3g
25-02-2006, 12:07 PM
My father has a 6680, and while at the airport he recived three messages with weird names like 34rghik_cid.sis and it says they have something to do with bluetooth. What are they?
A .sis file is a program - DO NOT INSTALL - unless you know what it is - could be a virus.
A .sis file is a program - DO NOT INSTALL - unless you know what it is - could be a virus.
Captain Beer
25-02-2006, 12:12 PM
Thanks! So how do you pick these things up?
ebendl
25-02-2006, 12:37 PM
Various mobile forums around the net show the information regarding these viruses. A few companies even offers anti-virus software for Series 60 phones (such as your dad's 6680).
The only thing you need to know, is:
- Only smartphones, such as the Nokia Series 60 and Sony-Erricsons P-range can (At this moment) receive and be infected by viruses.
- All these virusses are user-installed (thus, you must accept the bluetooth message, open the file and confirm installation). They usually tempt you with filenames saying 'free game' or something.
- The safest way to prevent your phone from getting these virusses are to switch bluetooth off altogether, or at least to 'non-discoverable' mode.
- What I do, though, when I get a random bluetooth message is to mostly ignore it (when the phone ask whether you wish to receive it, decline). However, some places offers short advertisement via Bluetooth when you walk past it (such as Cafe Dulche in Centurion Mall). When you realise you start getting the same message every time you walk past say a certain store, accept it. However, when the phone says 'New Message', DO NOT press show, as this will immediately open the file without the chance to see it first. Rather, go to your inbox via the menu and the filename should be displayed without the need to open the message. From here, you can easily see whether it is a .sis file (potential virus) or .gif/.jpg (advertisement).
Sorry for the long reply! :)
The only thing you need to know, is:
- Only smartphones, such as the Nokia Series 60 and Sony-Erricsons P-range can (At this moment) receive and be infected by viruses.
- All these virusses are user-installed (thus, you must accept the bluetooth message, open the file and confirm installation). They usually tempt you with filenames saying 'free game' or something.
- The safest way to prevent your phone from getting these virusses are to switch bluetooth off altogether, or at least to 'non-discoverable' mode.
- What I do, though, when I get a random bluetooth message is to mostly ignore it (when the phone ask whether you wish to receive it, decline). However, some places offers short advertisement via Bluetooth when you walk past it (such as Cafe Dulche in Centurion Mall). When you realise you start getting the same message every time you walk past say a certain store, accept it. However, when the phone says 'New Message', DO NOT press show, as this will immediately open the file without the chance to see it first. Rather, go to your inbox via the menu and the filename should be displayed without the need to open the message. From here, you can easily see whether it is a .sis file (potential virus) or .gif/.jpg (advertisement).
Sorry for the long reply! :)
Captain Beer
25-02-2006, 01:16 PM
Thanks that was very informative!
Starting to understand it now.
Starting to understand it now.
piranha786
26-02-2006, 11:02 PM
bluejacking
I sometimes send a msg to ppl, like : piranha786 is watching you!
the best places to pick up ppl is in airports, or shopping malls.
but that is for the fun only.
I sometimes send a msg to ppl, like : piranha786 is watching you!
the best places to pick up ppl is in airports, or shopping malls.
but that is for the fun only.
ebendl
26-02-2006, 11:13 PM
Problem with bluejacking is that the person should be within 10 metres of you...
Thus, it works fine within a movie, but sending 'I am Death' to the person sitting in the cublicle next to you in Spur and then laughing out loud about it, is NOT a good idea... :D
Thus, it works fine within a movie, but sending 'I am Death' to the person sitting in the cublicle next to you in Spur and then laughing out loud about it, is NOT a good idea... :D
Jeeva
27-02-2006, 04:00 AM
just install AV for your S-60.
rehd
27-02-2006, 11:15 AM
Problem with bluejacking is that the person should be within 10 metres of you...
Thus, it works fine within a movie, but sending 'I am Death' to the person sitting in the cublicle next to you in Spur and then laughing out loud about it, is NOT a good idea... :D
May the Force be with you ......
hehehe:cool:
Thus, it works fine within a movie, but sending 'I am Death' to the person sitting in the cublicle next to you in Spur and then laughing out loud about it, is NOT a good idea... :D
May the Force be with you ......
hehehe:cool:
ebendl
27-02-2006, 12:54 PM
just install AV for your S-60.
Should work, but I prefer not to get the virus in the first place. That way I also keep my phone running less applications at the same time.
Bluejacking message: "I am watching you..." :)
Should work, but I prefer not to get the virus in the first place. That way I also keep my phone running less applications at the same time.
Bluejacking message: "I am watching you..." :)
vodacom3g
27-02-2006, 01:08 PM
The handsets are currently very vulnerable to virus attacks. It's early days for anti-virus software, both on the network and on the handsets.
If Vodacom detects a new virus, we scan for it in all MMS going over the network, but this is obviously always reactive, i.e. we first need to learn of the new virus, analyse it and put scanners in place. No automated systems yet....
As mentioned above, on your handset, via bluetooth, you have to actively install the virus, yet some people still manage click on the 'yes' button multiple times to install the virus...
So, don't leave your bluetooth on (all it does is chow your battery in any case) and don't install anything you did not intentionally want to install.
Handset virus software is also still in it's infancy and I found it uses so much CPU (om my K-Jam, for example) that it's better turned off.
If Vodacom detects a new virus, we scan for it in all MMS going over the network, but this is obviously always reactive, i.e. we first need to learn of the new virus, analyse it and put scanners in place. No automated systems yet....
As mentioned above, on your handset, via bluetooth, you have to actively install the virus, yet some people still manage click on the 'yes' button multiple times to install the virus...
So, don't leave your bluetooth on (all it does is chow your battery in any case) and don't install anything you did not intentionally want to install.
Handset virus software is also still in it's infancy and I found it uses so much CPU (om my K-Jam, for example) that it's better turned off.
ebendl
02-03-2006, 06:31 PM
So, don't leave your bluetooth on (all it does is chow your battery in any case) and don't install anything you did not intentionally want to install.
...except if you want to use a car-kit! Just put discovertable mode off (I think). On the Nokia 6680 --> My phone's visibility = Hidden in Bluetooth menu.
...except if you want to use a car-kit! Just put discovertable mode off (I think). On the Nokia 6680 --> My phone's visibility = Hidden in Bluetooth menu.
vodacom3g
02-03-2006, 06:42 PM
What is your battery life with and without bluetooth on?
ebendl
02-03-2006, 07:00 PM
I get about two days out of it - no idea without BT (switched on from day one). Also set on dual mode (3G + GSM), email checks every hour, do browsing and SMSing as well. Some calls mostly in evening.
I luckily have a spare battery from a Nokia NGage that had a nasty incident with a TV-remote. The 2 days is without having to use the spare, though.
I luckily have a spare battery from a Nokia NGage that had a nasty incident with a TV-remote. The 2 days is without having to use the spare, though.
antowan
22-03-2006, 12:52 PM
Was sitting in Dros Centurion, when I got a request on my Nokia N70 from a phone with a rude name trying to send me stuff. I accpeted but nothing came through. After the 5th request over a period of about an hour I received a file named a_0t3h1ny1.sis which tried to install on my phone. A security violation message came up saying the file could not be installed.
Yes, I am aware of the risks of receiving files from unknown sources, but was just too interested to find out what it was. Now, the question is this, has anybody else experienced anything like this? What are the odds of this being a virus, perhaps spreading from a bluetooth enabled laptop?
AFAIK, there hasn't been any known successful mobile virus threat to date. There have been some written, but none were successful in spreading wide enough to be concidered potent AFAIK.
Anybody in a position to add to this?
Yes, I am aware of the risks of receiving files from unknown sources, but was just too interested to find out what it was. Now, the question is this, has anybody else experienced anything like this? What are the odds of this being a virus, perhaps spreading from a bluetooth enabled laptop?
AFAIK, there hasn't been any known successful mobile virus threat to date. There have been some written, but none were successful in spreading wide enough to be concidered potent AFAIK.
Anybody in a position to add to this?
peered95
22-03-2006, 12:59 PM
There has been many viruses on smart phones...what you were recieving was a virus. What happens is the phone gets infected, the virus turns on bluetooth and just keeps trying to send to anyone nearby. The effects of the virus is dependant on the virus....
mas
22-03-2006, 07:13 PM
its quite a huge possibility that it could be a virus.
check:
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/symantec.mobile.threats.removal.tool.html
its for series 60 nokia phones, don't know which series is the N70.
check:
http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/venc/data/symantec.mobile.threats.removal.tool.html
its for series 60 nokia phones, don't know which series is the N70.
IanC
23-03-2006, 12:03 AM
The file had a .sis extension so it was most likely a SymbianOS Installer File and it is also highly likely it was some form of malware like the Cabir (http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/cabir.shtml) virus.
The nice part is that the phone trying to infect your phone, was within a 10m radius of you.
The nice part is that the phone trying to infect your phone, was within a 10m radius of you.
antowan
25-03-2006, 12:55 PM
merged
The_Librarian
25-03-2006, 03:46 PM
I keep my bluetooth switched off. :D