On rootkit and malware detection in smartphones

Abstract

Dramatic increase in smartphone sales and third-party applications that users can download has significantly increased the possibility of rootkits and malware targeted for smartphones. This paper discusses the current state of research in detection and mitigation of propagation of malicious code, such as viruses, malware and even rootkits in smartphones. A new strategy is introduced that offers a solution to efficiently detect the presence of rootkits and mal-ware in smartphones. A preliminary prototype based on this strategy has been built for the android dev phone. The paper discusses the design, implementation and preliminary performance of this prototype.