Consumers using smartphones that operate on Google's Android platform are being warned of a malicious program that could compromise data stored in their phones.

Smartphones that operate on Google's Android platform may be at risk of having their data compromised by a malicious program called Geinimi. ((Paul Sakuma/Associated Press)) Geinimi is a new type of trojan, a program that is embedded in applications and operates without the user's knowledge, according to Lookout Mobile Security, a company that specializes in protecting smartphone users.

"The trojan that we're talking about is the most sophisticated Android malware we've seen," Lookout's chief technology officer, Kevin Mahaffey, told CBC News.

According to the company, the malicious software is being grafted into repackaged versions of legitimate applications, primarily games. So far, it has only been found in third-party Chinese android app markets.

Program allows 3rd party to control phone

According to a posting on the Lookout website, the program collects significant information that can compromise a user's privacy. That information includes location co-ordinates along with information that can identify the phone.

"The application has what's called a command and control mechanism so that when the application is on somebody's phone, the trojan will send data back to a central server, and the central server can send commands back to the phone in order to get it to do things."

Mahaffey says the ultimate purpose of the trojan isn't clear. The code that operates it is written in such a way as to make it difficult to analyze.

"While these are the capabilities of the trojan, we haven't yet seen people in the wild actually receive commands from the command and control servers to do things to their phone," he said.

"We don't have any sort of clear indication of what this trojan is actually targeted to do."

Among the games and other applications that have been found to contain the Geinimi are:

Monkey Jump 2

Sex Positions

President vs. Aliens

City Defense

Baseball Superstars 2010

The company advises Android users that to stay safe, they should only download applications from trusted sources such as reputable application markets. Users should also consider the developer of an application, and look at ratings and user reviews.

"People should treat their smartphones with the same level of caution and awareness as they do their PCs," Mahaffey said.

Users should also be aware of any unusual activity on a smartphone such as SMS messages being automatically sent to unknown recipients or phone calls being placed automatically.

"Our end goal at the end of the day is to make people feel confident in their phones so they can use them for shopping, banking, business," Mahaffey stresses.

"In order to do that, people need to be aware of the threats currently out there and more or less what they can do to protect themselves."