Google Android phones are definitely getting more popular, and as per Kaspersky Lab, they have just been hit by their first trojan.

SMS.AndroidOS.FakePlayer.a , a SMS borne trojan, purporting to be a harmless media player application, once installed, sends out SMS text messages without the users' knowledge or consent. The infection initiates by prompting users to install a small file of around 13 KB that has the standard Android extension .APK. But once the "app" is installed on the device, the Trojan bundled with it begins texting "premium rate" phone numbers (those that charge). The criminals are actually the ones operating these numbers, so they end up collecting the money via charges to the victims' accounts.

According to Denis Maslennikov, Senior Malware Researcher at Kaspersky Lab, the outbreak is currently regional. And for now, only Russian Android users can actually lose money after installing the Trojan, but anyone can be infected with the Trojan.

The Trojan-SMS category of malware is relatively common in the mobile ecosystem, but this is the first to specifically target Android-based devices. However, FakePlayer is not the first malware designed for Android, says the firm, as there have been isolated incidents of Android devices infected with spyware, the earliest occurring in 2009.

Source: Kaspersky