Can Windows Phone Get Viruses?

[Brian3]

Hi All,

I was wondering if Windows Phone can get viruses?

I stupidly click on a link that I thought was a youtube video, my friend shared on facebook (The new facebook layout makes it hard for me to see what the sources of the links are, opps). On windows phone it redirected me to facebooks mobile site. When I clicked on it on the desktop, Norton Internet Security informed me that it had blocked an attack.

Seeing as Windows phone is a little more closed, I'm only slightly concerned. But I wanted the WP central community's opinion. Is it likely that Windows Phone become comprised? One thing that was slightly strange was that when I unlocked the phone a few minutes later, my phone crashed and restarted. However, I also think I may have gotten a call at the exact same time, and that may have caused the crash.

If it helps I'm on a Lumia 920 running Lumia Black/GDR3

 

[963Delta]

Windows Phones cannot get viruses. The crash may have just been a coincidence.

 

[HarkAtYou]

WP cannot get viruses, in theory. But certainly not from clicking a link on Facebook.

 

[kingenu]

NO.

this is a secure os i believe

 

[Tashan]

Sad to say, but not convinced with the answers shared by fellow members till now.

Even I have the same question.The protection of many of the details that I usually never kept on my earlier Android phone, and besides being one major reason for me to change to Windows Phone was the availability of the amazing secured OS.

But, how can I be assured that surfing the web on the phone doesn't invite viruses? Of any kind be it malware, adware, etc.

This is something I definitely desire to know in more details with good reasoning and supporting examples, if any.

​Thanks

 

[Daniel Ratcliffe]

Nothing is 100% immune. Windows Phone has its security through obscurity. Basically, once WP really takes off it will have virus and malware levels on par with Apple's iOS. It is very unlikely you got a virus from that, but it is still a possibility.

 

[Jaskys]

Tashan, you need to understand that viruses cannot just pop up from nowhere, they have to be made for WP, which isn't likely.

There's much much bigger targets for hackers, PCs and androids

 

[rockstarzzz]

Sad to say, but not convinced with the answers shared by fellow members till now.

Even I have the same question.The protection of many of the details that I usually never kept on my earlier Android phone, and besides being one major reason for me to change to Windows Phone was the availability of the amazing secured OS.

But, how can I be assured that surfing the web on the phone doesn't invite viruses? Of any kind be it malware, adware, etc.

This is something I definitely desire to know in more details with good reasoning and supporting examples, if any.

​Thanks

Because you can choose not to let any websites store anything on your WP. In WP8, go to IE settings and advanced. You can see what websites have previously stored files on phone and delete them too.
Virus needs a place to live before it infects. On WP, everything is sandboxed. That's why nothing from IE is stored in shared environment with system files.

 

[Brian3]

Okay, Thanks you all.

I checked my browser settings and I thankfully had "Websites can store files on my phone" turned off. And the cookie setting was "Block some." It seems very unlikely that that happened. Next time I will be more careful and see that the link is actually to Youtube, and not some weird website.

The crash was weird, but like I said, I also think I got a phone call right as I unlocked the phone. Maybe that caused the crash.

 

[Cheewii Poon]

Any system can theoretically get viruses, but Windows Phone is not open source like Android or Windows and therefore, has a stronger "immune system", so to speak. Besides, if Microsoft can't get app developers to make apps specifically for Windows Phone, what makes you think hackers will bother coding a virus just for Windows Phone instead of making one for Android?

 

[Pete]

Windows phones cant be infected by viruses. The only code that is allowed to execute comes from either the windows phone store or the operating system itself. If you download a file through internet explorer, it wont be able to execute. Same goes for email attachments.

Web sites can do odd things if there badly crafted, it doesn't mean there's a virus at work.

 

[Amy Smedley]

I have a windows phone and I am sure that I have a virus.... I say this because I have clicked on links on Facebook and ever since I have visited these sites (celeb photo's/ stories etc) my phone freezes up, has pop ups and closes my browser on its own. So I'm fairly sure that it CAN in FACT get a virus. Now I have to figure out how to fix it! :eck:

 

[mjrtoo]

I have a windows phone and I am sure that I have a virus.... I say this because I have clicked on links on Facebook and ever since I have visited these sites (celeb photo's/ stories etc) my phone freezes up, has pop ups and closes my browser on its own. So I'm fairly sure that it CAN in FACT get a virus. Now I have to figure out how to fix it! :eck:

There's no virus, I've noticed that IE crashes and locks up occasionally since the Cyan/8.1.1 update.

Websites do popups all the time.

 

[elcono]

There seems to be alot of delusion on this post/thread

Wp8 can get viruses. I recently got the fileinfo72 browser redirect virus which constantly tries to take you to porn sites when you open a new tab

Now I cant find any AV software to remedy this that works on wp8......

 

[D M C]

I think WP isn't popular enough to to get Virus and Google services.

Both will be available when WP get some decent market share.

 

[neo158]

There seems to be alot of delusion on this post/thread

Wp8 can get viruses. I recently got the fileinfo72 browser redirect virus which constantly tries to take you to porn sites when you open a new tab

Now I cant find any AV software to remedy this that works on wp8......

No, WP8 can't get viruses. It may be based on the NT kernel but it has far more in common with Windows RT than Windows 8, being ARM based I think you'll find that unless that virus has an ARM WinRT version then it won't be able to execute.

Browser redirections are NOT viruses, they can be caused by them but in this case it's certainly just a dodgy website redirecting you instead.

So yes, there is a lot of "...delusion on this post/thread" but it's coming from those who think WP can be infected by viruses.

 

[lamdfer]

WPhones cannot get viruses.

 

[someone2639]

Not yet. (muahaha)

 

[Ramizk]

i accidentally clicked on a link and then i got a pop up msg saying my device is got infected. then when i clicked back the web page says the link you just used infected your device. the browser then started acting crazy and pop up msg arrived that say msg from webpage - my device had 13 viruses. it started automatically searching for some shopping apps. i cleared everything deleted cookies and data from browser but i again pop up for sometime on certain web pages. after device restart it stopped appearing but im scared. help me.

P.S. i forgot to take the screen shot of the msgs.

 

[xandros9]

i accidentally clicked on a link and then i got a pop up msg saying my device is got infected. then when i clicked back the web page says the link you just used infected your device. the browser then started acting crazy and pop up msg arrived that say msg from webpage - my device had 13 viruses. it started automatically searching for some shopping apps. i cleared everything deleted cookies and data from browser but i again pop up for sometime on certain web pages. after device restart it stopped appearing but im scared. help me.

P.S. i forgot to take the screen shot of the msgs.

You're almost certainly safe.
It's nothing more than a scary alert popup by the site and a redirect to a shopping app page. (yup, people lie and use fear to get what they want)
If you notice sometimes, they might say that your Android has been "infected."

best solution is probably to avoid the sketchier sites.