A new piece of malware is trying to take advantage of Skype's increasingpopularity, especially on mobile devices. Cybercriminals have created a fake
version of the Skype for Android app, designed to earn money from
unsuspecting users. Trend Micro, which first discovered the malware, is calling
this particular threat JAVA_SMSSEND.AB.
The Java in the name should not surprise you, given that Android apps are
primarily developed in a custom version of the programming language.
Thankfully, this is not a very good fake. The app in question only runs on older (pre Software Installation Script)
Symbian phones or Android devices that allow execution of Java MIDlet.
The cybercriminals behind this scheme have set up fake websites advertising fake Skype apps. Most of the sites
are hosted on Russian domains (.ru) but the fake apps themselves are hosted on Nigerien domains (.ne).
The reason this is not a good fake is that instead of an .apk file (the expected package file for Android apps),
users are served up with a .jar (Java MIDlet). While the app poses as an installer for Skype, what it really does is
install a piece of malware. The devil is in the details: in the background, the malicious app sends expensive
international text messages to earn its creators revenue.
Android lets you download and install apps from anywhere. If you want the official version of an app, however,
get it from the official Google Play store. Here is the official Skype link: play.google.com/store/apps/details?
id=com.skype.raider
