The critical role that mobile phones play in our lives today make them a favorable target for malware authors. Mobile phones contain a lot of users’ vital information in the same way as their PCs. This is why it is not surprising to see mobile malware enter the threat landscape.

Recently, a malware targeting Windows Mobile PocketPC was found and analyzed by Trend Micro researchers. Detected as WINCE_INFOJACK.A, this worm specifically runs on Windows CE environment, leaves the mobile phone open to other malware and installs unsigned applications without the user’s consent. It also steals information like Mobile IMEI or serial number, OS version, model and platform and hosts name among others to which it sends back to the malware author/s. Aside from this, WINCE_INFOJACK.A also changes the security settings of the affected phone.

Users can get infected once they insert an infected memory card on the mobile device or through SMS. Just last January, Trend Micro also discovered SYMBOS_BESELO.A, a Symbian malware that disguises as a multimedia file and infects phones running Symbian/S60 2nd edition OS.

“These gadgets are running faster and better,” Trend Micro Research Manager Jamz Yaneza says in a news article last February 27.”Because it’s running like a regular PC, you should treat it like a regular PC.” Clearly this shows that mobile malware is already cementing itself as a security threat that we should also watch out for.