LAS VEGAS, USA: Two security experts said on Friday they released a tool forattacking smartphones that use Google Inc's Android operating system topersuade manufacturers to fix a bug that lets hackers read a victim's email andtext messages.

"It wasn't difficult to build," said NicholasPercoco, head of Spider Labs, who along with a colleague, released the tool atthe Defcon hacker's conference in Las Vegas on Friday.

Percoco said it took about two weeks to build the malicioussoftware that could allow criminals to steal precious information from Androidsmartphones.

"There are people who are much more motivated to dothese things than we are," he added.

The tool is a so-called root kit that, once installed,allows its developer to gain total control of Android devices, which are beingactivated by consumers at a rate of about 160,000 units per day, according toGoogle.

"We could be doing what we want to do and there is noclue that we are there," Percoco said.

The test attacks were conducted on HTC Corp's(2498.TW)Android-based Legend and Desire phones, but he believed it could be conductedon other Android phones.

The tool was released on a DVD given to conferenceattendees. Percoco was scheduled to discuss it during a talk on Saturday.

Google and HTC did not immediately return calls for comment.

Some 10,000 hackers and security experts are attending theDefcon conference, the world's largest gathering of its type, where computergeeks mix with federal security officials.

Attendees pay $140 in cash to attend and are not required toprovide their names to attend the conference. Law enforcement posts under coveragents in the audience to spot criminals and government officials recruitworkers to fight computer crimes and for the Department of Defence.

Organizers of the conference say presenters release toolssuch as Percoco's root kit to pressure manufacturers to fix bugs.