Hi Guys – strange thing happened the other week with my new TX1XP, on a train travelling from London, sat down, opened the lid of my new TX to do some work, and access the web (train has wireless internet). Within a few minutes, I had an offer! Not from the blonde sat over from me. But my TX was asking if I wish to accept a Bluetooth file transfer, I through mistake and surprise clicked yes.

Bad move, a SymbOS Commwarrior.B file transfer took place! But luckily the bundled Norton Internet Security deleted the file straight away, good thing!

Odd though, you hear about these things, but someone sending a virus via Bluetooth on a train is new to me! The file SymbOS Commwarrior.B is aimed at Symbian Series 60 devices. When Commwarrior infects a phone it will start searching other phones that in can reach over Bluetooth and send infected SIS files to the phones it finds. I had a Sony Ericsson P910 with me as well! Good that the Bluetooth was off. It looks like it couldn’t have done any damage to the TX, only a mobile phone.

I did a search and found the offending device, and could have sent a notable message of disapproval to the offender, but as it can pass from Bluetooth phone to phone, it may not have been the fault of the sender?

The moral of the story is expect threats to your TR, TX etc from anywhere, even on train!! Be prepared…

Oddly enough a news paper article in the sun had an article on bluejacking just yesterday. But in this case, the offender doesnt require your authentification to access a BT device, bluejacking tools skips the step and are able to enter the root directly.  :? Symbian is the most prone.

I guess it all depends on people accepting the file transfer in the first place; you have to agree to be infected!

Bluejacking doesnt need that matey, if your phones in range the tool is sure to get through, your consent is a non issue.

If I understand it correctly, “bluejacking” only involves sending entries in your Contacts as business cards. The item is transferred without your consent but firstly most phones (though admittedly not all) ask you whether you want to import it into your contacts or not, and secondly (perhaps more importantly) this doesn’t actually contain any executable code, so can’t constitute a virus.

Unless someone finds a bug in a particular phone model’s Contact handling or I’ve misunderstood bluejacking, I don’t think viruses can be distributed this way.

Chris

Thats what I thought pugwash, but having done a bit og googling, it may be the case..!