NOKIA Offers Re-Flashing of Infected Phones

NOKIA has offered to re-flash phones that have been infected by the CABIR/CARIBE Bluetooth Virus.

Nokia is alert to the existence of a laboratory-recognized concept worm, which attempts to replicate itself over Bluetooth. The worm sends a copy of itself to “visible” Bluetooth devices. However, the worm will not affect the device unless the user takes the active step of accepting it. Additionally, the worm cannot find devices in which Bluetooth is switched to “hidden” mode, or those in which Bluetooth is switched off. The worm is not spread over mobile networks.

The worm is coded to run under Symbian OS. According to Nokia’s tests, the on-market devices that could be affected include those Nokia models that run the Series 60 smart phone platform.

Since Bluetooth is essentially a means of sharing data, the best precaution is to exercise caution when accepting files from unknown or untrusted sources. If the worm is accepted to a device, it can be deleted without causing any harm to the device.

Nokia is monitoring the situation and will take active measures to address the issue of mobile malware including the Cabir worm. When potential issues come to our attention, we analyze them and take appropriate measures. Based on the analyses to date, Nokia believes the current security threat is relatively small and unlikely to mirror the risk profile of the fixed Internet.