Last year, a major Android malware app Dendroid made headlines, striking fear into the hearts of Android users and giving security and antivirus companies something to write about.
In March of 2014, Lookout Security wrote:
Researchers found Dendroid, a custom “Remote Access Toolkit” (RAT) for Android targeting customers from Western countries, and yes, it breached Google Play. A RAT is a type of malware that is used to remotely control the devices it is installed on. The toolkit is being sold for $300 to anyone who wants to automate the malware distribution process. The creator promises that the malware can take pictures using the phone’s camera, record audio and video, download existing pictures, record calls, send texts, and more.
On Wednesday, the United States Justice Department announced a major international bust of Darkode, an online black market for hackers. One of the individuals snared in the bust was 20-year-old Morgan Culbertson. Culbertson is accused of being the creator of Dendroid. He would have been 18 or 19 at the time Dendroid was created.
Culbertson is currently a student at Carnegie Melon University in Pittsburgh, and interestingly enough is an intern at FireEye, a cybersecurity software maker. Among his duties at FireEye, Culbertson was tasked with researching malware on Android smartphones, tearing apart viruses, and analyzing them. From CNNMoney:
The concern now is that Culbertson has compromised FireEye’s software — and used the corporation’s knowledge and tools for criminal hacking. According to his online resume, he worked with FireEye’s elite Advanced Persistent Threat team, which investigates hackers and their tactics.
FireEye has issued a statement that Culbertson has been suspended pending an internal review of his activities.
As usual, Culbertson’s coworkers all expressed shock at the allegations, noting that he was very sociable and didn’t come across as the type of person who would intentionally cause widespread harm.
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[button link=”https://blog.lookout.com/blog/2014/03/06/dendroid/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: Lookout[/button][button link=”http://money.cnn.com/2015/07/15/technology/hacker-fireeye-intern/” icon=”fa-external-link” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Source: CNN Money[/button]Last Updated on November 27, 2018.
