Instructions about avoiding the security catches inside the smart phone, which Orange sells and calls the SPV, were made public the last few days, Orange spokesman Stuart Jackson said Wednesday. The SPV is the only wireless device on sale that uses Microsoft's operating system for advanced phones.

A source familiar with the situation said most SPV owners won't know whether they have been affected. To launch the rogue programs, an SPV owner will have to know how to "unlock" a cell phone, a difficult process that sometimes involves taking the phone apart. "It's not something that my granny is about to do," said the source who requested anonymity.

Microsoft's Security Response Center, the team that looks into security vulnerabilities affecting the company's products, began "thoroughly investigating the issue" on Tuesday, according to a Microsoft representative. The investigation is ongoing.

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