Caution: That New Angry Birds Game Could Be Malware

A Trojanized version of the newest version of Rovio's popular Angry Birds is now being offered in a number of unofficial Android app stores.

According to a blog about the Angry Birds malware posted last week by researchers at Sophos, unwitting users looking to download the new Angry Birds Space game may get a bit of malicious code they didn't bargain for.

The Trojan-laden malware appears to be a fully functional version of the game, and the name and the icon of the app correspond with the ones used by the legitimate app, which was released on March 22, Sophos says.

A bundled GingerBreak exploit works in the background to gain root access to the device and then uses it to download and install additional malware from a remote website, the blog states.

The compromised device becomes part of a botnet. Hackers can use it to download any additional malware they like, or they can make the browser surf to any Web page they choose.

The version offered in the offical Android market is not infected, Sophos says.

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