Malicious 'solar power' charging Android app discovered

The latest Symantec Intelligence Report, September 2012 states that an Android application has been discovered that charges the battery of the smartphone through solar energy but instead steals critical information from your device.

Symantec says that the high processing power of embedded CPUs and large, bright LCD screens, coupled with frequent usage, makes battery life a perennial problem for device users. This has spawned a whole genre of applications aimed at addressing this problem.

There are applications that will offer status updates on battery life, notify you when your battery is getting low, turn off features that are not necessary. A malicious application in point is that of "Battery Long" (Android.Ackposts) that appears to help with the battery life, but simply steals information from the compromised device.

The mobile malware developers have been attracted to Android because applications have become integral to mobile phones with users ready to go to any degree for downloading alternative ones. Breaking through the boundaries of credibility is a bunch of applications that will supposedly turn your phone screen into a solar charger.

 

Even though this is completely false, there are a number of "legitimate" applications out there making this claim. Many operate by using the cameras to measure the ambient light levels to move an onscreen dial, indicating the "charge rate" for increased accuracy. These are joke applications at best, in some cases even including small print on the application description page denying it has the ability to actually charge the phone.

Beyond the fun that can be had playing practical jokes, there is good reason to avoid such applications altogether. Another such example is the Android.Sumzand. The application claims to be able to convert the screen on your device into a solar panel and use it to charge the battery, if exposed to sunlight. However, there are some unstated capabilities within this application that you need to watch out for-Android.Sumzand also happens to steal contact data from your phone. Until real solar panels are actually installed on phones, it's best to just continue charging your phone the old-fashioned way: plugging it in to a wall socked or USB port.

Symantec advices Internet users to be careful while down loading/installing anything from the net.