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A group of underground virus writers have demonstrated what is believed to be the world's first worm that can spread on mobile phones. The worm, named Cabir, was sent to security software firms Kapersky Lab of Russia and U.S.-based Symantec by a member of 29a, a group of virus writers from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

Symantec says the worm is designed to work in phones running on Symbian and Series 60 software, which is used to power millions of Nokia phones, such as the popular 6600 model. The worm is not regarded as dangerous because even if it spreads it carries no code that destroys files or executes other damaging operations.

The virus attempts to jump from phone to phone by using the handset's wireless short-range phone-to-phone connection.

Bruce Schneier, author of Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly About Security in an Uncertain World, and founder and chief technology officer at Counterpane Internet Security, sees mobile phone worms as a growing threat.