BOSTON (Reuters) - A mobile security expert says he has found new ways for hackers to attack phones running Google Inc's Android operating system.
Riley Hassell, who caused a stir when he called off an appearance at a hacker's conference last week, told Reuters he and colleague Shane Macaulay decided not to lay out their research at the gathering for fear criminals would use it attack Android phones.
He said in an interview he identified more than a dozen widely used Android applications that make the phones vulnerable to attack.
"App developers frequently fail to follow security guidelines and write applications properly," he said.
"Some apps expose themselves to outside contact. If these apps are vulnerable, then an attacker can remotely compromise that app and potentially the phone using something as simple as a text message."
He declined to identify those apps, saying he fears hackers might exploit the vulnerabilities.
"When you release a threat and there's no patch ready, then there is mayhem," said Hassell, founder of