Latest version of Skulls worm pretend to be Macromedia Flash player

Latest version of Skulls worm pretend to be Macromedia Flash player

The drama continues with the new releases of worms on the mobile platforms. An updated version of Skulls worm has been discovered in the wild. It pretends to be an updated version of the Macromedia Flash Player for Symbian Operating System. If the users fall for it and install it, the worm further affects the handheld device with Cabir worm.

The variant has been named as Skulls.D and it disables the applications programmed to prevent infections from earlier variants. It installs Cabir.M variant on the handsets and inform the user of the infection with a full-screen flashing skull image. F-Secure was the first security firm to have announced the presence of this particular variant.

The infected users are also not allowed anymore to browse for files and applications on their devices. The phones are also disabled to install any new application thus forcing the user to reset the phone (or mobile device) to original factory settings.

The security firm said the probable infected users would most likely to be people who search for pirated or freeware applications from various websites on the web. P2P networks also are a big carrier for these kinds of malware files.

The worm also works like its predecessors. As soon as it infects a device, it disables all legitimate Bluetooth connectivity and search for vulnerable gadgets in the vicinity to spread the infection. It also consumes battery power very quickly.

Security critics have expressed fears that this new series of exploits of Symbian Operating System are more sounding like in-house experimentations of the anti-virus labs as not many people have openly reported to be getting infected. F-Secure of course deny the claims.