Symbian users lured by 'Sexy View' malware

The attacks target English and Chinese language handsets

Security experts are warning Symbian users of a new Trojan attack. The China-based 'Sexy View' malware has been targeting handsets running the Symbian S60 Third Edition software. Earlier versions of the system are not believed to be vulnerable.

The malware spreads via a text message under the headings 'sexy view' or 'play boy', according to security firm F-Secure. The attacks target English and Chinese language handsets.

Rather than targeting a specific vulnerability in the Symbian software to install itself, Sexy View uses its suggestive name to trick curious users into manually installing the malware.

Once installed, the malware attempts to turn off several application management utilities, and then opens a connection to a remote server. From there, user details are collected and archived, and text messages are sent to everyone in the victim's contact list.

"This is something we don't see very often," F-Secure said in a security bulletin. "There are spy tools and other privacy threats directed at S60 Third Edition phones, but malware is still mainly an issue on S60 Second Edition phones."

Researchers noted that the malware does not attempt to hide itself, and users can manually remove it through the handset's App Manager tool.

Sexy View is the latest in what security experts expect will be a growing crop of mobile malware in 2009. As smartphones become increasingly popular, and operating systems become more complex, researchers expect to see malware writers target the platforms more often.