Angry Birds Space is really, really popular. Besides its much improved gameplay, it launching simultaneously across all platforms really helps with the download rate. Android getting an ad-supported free version of the game definitely entices players to download the game. You should really watch out which version you download though.

Rovio let everybody know that there’s a fake version of Angry Birds Space for Android floating around in the space of smartphones apps. While Rovio doesn’t go into more detail, security firm Sophos details the malware on their blog. What makes this latest attempt at hacking your phone more dangerous is that it really is the fully-functioning game of Angry Birds Space. To the normal user, nothing would appear out of the ordinary.

Sophos says that the innocuous download contains the Andr/KongFu-L malware. It uses the GingerBreak exploit to gain access to your phone, and installs malicious software. This in turn takes over your phone and turns it into a malware magnet. Not only is it installing harmful software on your phone, but it’s using your 3G/4G connection to do it.

The affected game only comes from unofficial Android markets. The version of the game on the Google Play Store remains totally safe, as does the download from Rovio’s Web site.

I feel that I must remind Android users that the operating system is just like that of a PC. It’s easily hackable and your phone can become part of a mobile botnet if you’re not careful. Pay attention to what you download. There are usually key signs that a file is unsafe including a fake publisher, typos in the app’s description and suspicious file sizes.

Some tips to stay secure include downloading exclusively from the Google Play store. While not every app on the Google Play store is safe, the company has introduced a bot that finds most of the malware on the store and deletes it. Another would be to install anti-virus software on your phone. I recommend Avast for its free, yet powerful set of tools that has kept my phone safe so far with its alerts that a file or app may be unsafe.

[h/t: All Things D]