Open Android Marketplace Raises Concerns about Mal-Ware - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Open Android Marketplace Raises Concerns about Mal-Ware

by

Wired reports that the first malicious application for the Google Android Marketplace may have already appeared. There are reports that an application called MemoryUp results in erasing data on the phone and corrupting memory of the phone.

Doesnt work at all erased my phone numbers and froze my phone," allegedly wrote a user according to the Geek.com site.

The developer of the application, however, appears to be a long running developer and denies their app could be causing the problem:

The application's developers deny those claims. "We are very disturbed by these reports," says Robert Lee, chief technical associate for eMobiStudio. "Whatever damage is out there has not been done by our product."

Looking at the original report on Geek.com shows that the evidence that this was an intentionally malicious app to be quite flimsy (unverified app review comments only). The app has been pulled in the meanwhile as it gets sorted out.

Still, Google's unregulated Android marketplace makes them more vulnerable to these sort of concerns. In contrast, Apple tries to hold more control over their App Store and manually approves all applications that enter the App Store.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

Apple Event Logo

Apple Unveiled Four New Products Today

Tuesday August 25, 2026 8:39 am PDT by
Apple today unveiled a new Mac mini with M6 and M5 Pro chip options, a new Mac Studio with M5 Max and M5 Ultra chip options, a new version of the Polishing Cloth with a lower price, and updated Magic Keyboards for Macs. To learn more about these products, read our coverage below: Apple Announces New Mac Mini With M6 and M5 Pro Chips and More Apple Unveils New Mac Studio With M5 Max and M5...
Apple Logo Gradient 16x9 1

Apple Just Made an Extremely Rare Product Announcement

Thursday August 27, 2026 7:58 am PDT by
The new Mac mini and Mac Studio models unveiled by Apple this week are the company's first new Macs announced in August since 2020. It is extremely rare for Apple to announce new products of any kind in August, excluding smaller things like new color options and accessories. As mentioned, Apple's last notable August product announcement was in 2020, when it updated the 27-inch iMac and a...
apple magic keyboard with glyphs 2026 refresh

Apple Quietly Refreshes Magic Keyboards

Tuesday August 25, 2026 7:22 am PDT by
Apple today quietly introduced updated Magic Keyboard models with revised U.S. English key labeling. On the new keyboards, the tab, caps lock, shift, return, and delete keycaps are labeled with glyphs rather than edge text. On the full-size models with a numeric keypad, the change goes further, with the home, page up, page down, end, clear, and enter keys also swapping their text labels for...