There’s an app going around pretending to be the pirated version of a legit app called Walk and Text. The app, called Android.Walkinwat, was uploaded to multiple sites that allow people to download paid apps for free, or at a low monthly cost. A lot of people who believe that everything should be handed to them free have gone to these sites in order to not pay for premium apps.
Well, to teach those people a good lesson, someone uploaded a fake copy of the Walk and Text app to many of these sites. The victim downloads the fake app thinking that they’re getting the premium version of the Walk and Text app, but in reality, they were in for a big lesson.
Once the app is downloaded and executed, the user is presented with a box that indicates that the application is being cracked, but in reality, it is gathers a lot of sensitive information from the user’s phone (name, phone number, IMEI info, etc) and attempts to send it to a remote server.
While the sensitive information is being gathered and sent to the remote server, the app sends out the following text message to EVERYONE on your contact list:
Hey, just downloaded a pirated App of the internet, Walk and Text for Android. I'm stupid and cheap, it cost only 1 buck. Don't steal like I did!
After alerting everyone in your contact list that you steal applications, you are presented with the following message:
We really hope you learned something from this. Check your phone bill;) Oh and dont forget to buy the App from the Market.
You are then given the choice to head on over to the Android Market to purchase the official app or to exit the application. Nobody knows who released the application. As always, try to download things only from reputable sites or people. You may not feel like paying a few dollars for an official app, but the effects of downloading a virus/trojan from one of these shady sites could end up costing you more than the small price of the authentic app.
The real Walk and Text allows you to avoid the dangers of walking and texting (as seen in this video). You can download it from the Android Market.
Source Symantec, via Android Police
