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Mobile spy software is 'a Trojan', says F-Secure
Snooping is not all its capable of...

By Joris Evers

Published: Thursday 30 March 2006

New software that hides on mobile phones and captures call logs and text messages is being sold as a way to monitor kids and spouses. But one security company calls it a Trojan horse.

The FlexiSpy application captures call logs, text messages and mobile internet activity, among other things. The software, released at the beginning of March, sells for $49.95 and is advertised by Thailand-based Vervata as a tool to monitor kids and unfaithful spouses. The data captured is sent to Vervata's servers and is accessible to customers via a special website.

Similar surveillance software for PCs already exists and has raised the ire of groups fighting domestic violence, who fear it may be used by abusive spouses.

FlexiSpy has attracted a different kind of criticism from security company F-Secure, which has labelled the software a Trojan, or a malicious program that disguises itself as something innocuous.

Jarno Niemela wrote on the Finnish antivirus maker's corporate blog on Wednesday: "This application installs itself without any kind of indication as to what it is. And when it is installed on the phone, it completely hides itself from the user."

FlexiSpy could be used by miscreants as part of malicious software that targets phones, Niemela wrote. Alternatively, an attacker could try sending the program to phones via a Bluetooth connection and trust that there are enough curious people to install it. F-Secure has updated its security software for mobile phones to detect the program.

Vervata could not be immediately reached for comment but in a question-and-answer section on the FlexiSpy website the company insists the program is not malicious.

It reads: "FlexiSpy requires to be consciously installed and configured by someone, unlike a Virus or Trojan which spreads automatically without any action."

FlexiSpy is available for mobile phones that run the Symbian operating system, such as Nokia Series 60 handsets. Vervata plans to release by the end of April a version for RIM's BlackBerry, as well as for devices that run Microsoft's Windows Mobile Pocket PC operating system, according to the company's website.

Vervata is still working on "FlexiSpy Pro", which will log email and multimedia messages, in addition to the other data, according to the company's website. That version will also include a "monitoring" feature that lets the user call the target mobile phone from a preset number and listen in on what's going on in the background, in much the same way a baby monitor works.

Joris Evers writes for CNET News.com