Android Market’s malware problem
Google has removed 21 applications from the Android Market after it was discovered that the apps secretly installed malware. The applications themselves included pirated and renamed versions of legitimate Android software that had been modified to include the malware and then offered for free on the Market. Together, the 21 programs received more than 50,000 downloads over the course of about four days.
But that’s not even the end of it: the apps also installed other backdoor applications that would allow malicious code to be run secretly on the infected devices—users are advised to completely restore their phones. That’s the price you pay for having a completely unvetted app store. And unfortunately, its users who’re stuck with the bill.