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Android SMS Bug Sends Messages To Random Contact, Running Free for 6 Months

A recent bug in the Android system might cause some abnormal behavior on your smartphone. Your handset may send out text messages to random numbers from contact book and as it seems, this has been happening from the last six months. The issue is rated as a medium priority in bug reports and this fact has rightfully upset Adrian Kingsley-Hughes over at ZdNET.

However, I have seen five Android devices in my vicinity constantly for the last six months and have had contact with a dozen other people who own one. Not one has reported this problem to me until now. Neither has the bug affected me yet. Thus, in my opinion, this is just one of those problems that get more attention than they deserve.

In my opinion, those making complains of this abnormal behavior should check the apps and their permissions. The behavior sounds more like the work of malware. Once again, users are warned not to install apps from anywhere else than the Market and strictly check if an app asks for more permission than it requires. If true, help others by reporting the app in question.

However, I am not shedding off this claim totally. There is a very good possibility that the bug has crept into my phone or anyone else’s, just that the effects are not visible yet. While a few friends including me are using CyanogenMOD, the rest are still on their default ROMs. The bug seems to spring up into action on a firmware upgrade only.