Can a cell phone get a virus?

[Chunk-O-Funk]

Just wondering?

My brother was sending me some weird text messages. I usually get the typical "FW: FW: FW:" junk from him.

One was very much like a computer file path. Two others was basically spam where one of them wanted me to download some app to get more jokes.

I erased those and then text him back, but haven't heard from him since.

Again, just wondering. I think my phone is fine.

[crispygoat]

Yes.

The phone is running on an Operating System, but seeing there are several phone Operating Systems it could be quite hard to catch

[Raven2k360]

If it's a Smartphone or something runnign Winblows Mobile or something like that, then yes....it's possible to write viruses for them....esp. winblows, since it most likely shares the same scripting language as the computer OS (C#, java, etc.). Also, if a virus was written in java (not sure if it's possible, but who knows), then it could affect any phone capable of running java.

[MakiSupaStar]

sure it can. If you're texting a bunch of farts to your buddies and then aswering the phone when your chick call you're gonna get dirty

[fdeck]

Yes. It's not open source.

[fdeck]

But seriously, the thing which probably protects most of our phones is the diversity of operating systems. I doubt anybody would write a virus for my cheap phone purchased for $30 at Wal-Mart five years ago. As a few phones with sophisticated OS's become popular, we will see viruses become more prominent.

[Chunk-O-Funk]

Okay guys, thanks.

I talked to him, and I thinks it's just a massive cell phone phail (fail) on his part. He downloaded some app to get a joke of the day or something like that. He also admitted he botched something he was trying to send me.

Our phones are totally different. His is a mid level smart phone and mine is pretty much, "just a phone" with some limited web capabilities that I don't even use. My guess is the app he downloaded spews out spam and he just doesn't know it yet. I really don't know.

Oh yeah. Forgot to mention one weird thing. At the same time I got his text I also received a voice message. The weird part is it was an old message I originally received back on New Years Eve.

Thanks again.

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by Chunk-O-Funk

Okay guys, thanks.

I talked to him, and I thinks it's just a massive cell phone phail (fail) on his part. He downloaded some app to get a joke of the day or something like that. He also admitted he botched something he was trying to send me.

Our phones are totally different. His is a mid level smart phone and mine is pretty much, "just a phone" with some limited web capabilities that I don't even use. My guess is the app he downloaded spews out spam and he just doesn't know it yet. I really don't know.

Oh yeah. Forgot to mention one weird thing. At the same time I got his text I also received a voice message. The weird part is it was an old message I originally received back on New Years Eve.

Thanks again.

On a serious note, a similar thing did happen to me with my buddy. He's on a regular cell phone on Verizon, and I'm on my iPhone (old 2G version). I suddenly got a blank email (no subject) and a blank voicemail from my DJ. I saw the email first. I previewed it and
saw that it was blank. Then I texted my Dj and asked if he called and he said no, and also confirmed that he DID NOT send me an email. We have not figured out what that was.

Now that I'm think about it, this is starting to remind me of the plotline to that Stephen King book "Cell".

[Agito]

I once had a virus in my cell phone (Nokia Smartphone 6080 I think)
It was nasty
But, I dowloaded an anti-virus and killed the virus :P