Security experts have reported that they are analysing what is believed to be the first mobile phone virus able to replicate via Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS).

The malicious code, dubbed CommWarrior, runs on the Symbian Series 60 smartphone operating system and can spread using multimedia messages that include an image, audio or video which is sent from one phone to another or by email.

"Phone viruses so far have been spreading over Bluetooth, so they only affect phones that are within a few metres. A MMS virus can potentially go global in minutes, just like an email worm," warned F-Secure's antivirus laboratory.

F-Secure said that it will post more detailed analysis on CommWarrior after investigating the code more closely.