There’s a new malware affecting Android devices and researchers have raised great concern on the matter.
The malware seen across the Google Play Store has already managed to gain over 2 million downloads so far and the rates continue to increase as we speak.
The news comes to us thanks to researchers from Bitdefender who came to the findings after conducting their real-time analysis. Here is where they stumbled upon a series of malicious apps.
This malware is a new batch and there are at least 35 different members who are showcasing ads that aren’t desirable. They’re readily downloadable from the Play Store and follow standard protocols.
In this way, they’re able to trick users into conducting downloads as they offer great incentives in return. Along the way, you’ll see them alter their identity, including name and image, seconds after it's downloaded. As a result, it’s quite difficult to locate them and even harder to install.
After entering the system, they continually provide users with invasive ads by taking advantage of WebView, producing revenue through operators, and also are able to make fraud impressions. In addition to that, they can even add more payloads on a device that’s compromised. That’s related to them using native frameworks for ad loading.
Bitdefender revealed in detail through its research how the adware application uses several techniques to disguise itself across Android. Moreover, you’ll even find them getting updates so they’re readily invisible on user devices.
Right after they’re installed, you can see them transform into a different icon and add different name tags by disrupting the settings. As result, these maneuvers end up preventing detection and their removal across apps.
Whenever you see a user click on a particular icon, the app ends up launching the adware in the form of an o size so it’s not detected easily. After that, it launches the settings so users are fooled into assuming they’ve gotten hold of the right app. But that’s not the case.
There have been incidents where the app arises as an Oppo logo, in the form of Samsung, or even as a Motorola too. At the same time, you’ll find it featuring extreme encryption and heavy codes to halt reverse engineering.
In this way, the Java payload that’s inside DEX files is prevented from being discovered. But that’s not the only way that these malicious apps end up hiding.
Another technique is entering the list for ‘Recent Apps’ so that when it’s run in the background, there is no active process that would end up revealing it. And it’s just so concerning how the number of apps is literally increasing with each passing day.
Some have reached the 100,000 download mark too. And if we had to pick the most popular one, well, there isn’t just one but so many. Even while we write this particular article, there are still so many still wandering freely on the Google Play Store.
They include Animated Stickers Master, Walls Light, GPS Location Finder, and even Wallpapers Pack too. Since the report was first unveiled by Bleeping Computer, they’ve asked Google to take action on the matter.
As far as the rest of the list of apps is concerned, well, there is plenty present on a series of app stores belonging to third parties. As you can expect, the number of downloads is certainly higher in Google’s Play Store.
Researchers warn against such downloads. They claim if users do have them still on their devices, they should get them removed immediately.
In this particular instance, you might do yourselves a favor by using an AV Tool for mobiles to remove them since the apps disguise as Settings.
Read next: This New Study Reveals How Brand Loyalty is On the Decline
The malware seen across the Google Play Store has already managed to gain over 2 million downloads so far and the rates continue to increase as we speak.
The news comes to us thanks to researchers from Bitdefender who came to the findings after conducting their real-time analysis. Here is where they stumbled upon a series of malicious apps.
This malware is a new batch and there are at least 35 different members who are showcasing ads that aren’t desirable. They’re readily downloadable from the Play Store and follow standard protocols.
In this way, they’re able to trick users into conducting downloads as they offer great incentives in return. Along the way, you’ll see them alter their identity, including name and image, seconds after it's downloaded. As a result, it’s quite difficult to locate them and even harder to install.
After entering the system, they continually provide users with invasive ads by taking advantage of WebView, producing revenue through operators, and also are able to make fraud impressions. In addition to that, they can even add more payloads on a device that’s compromised. That’s related to them using native frameworks for ad loading.
Bitdefender revealed in detail through its research how the adware application uses several techniques to disguise itself across Android. Moreover, you’ll even find them getting updates so they’re readily invisible on user devices.
Right after they’re installed, you can see them transform into a different icon and add different name tags by disrupting the settings. As result, these maneuvers end up preventing detection and their removal across apps.
Whenever you see a user click on a particular icon, the app ends up launching the adware in the form of an o size so it’s not detected easily. After that, it launches the settings so users are fooled into assuming they’ve gotten hold of the right app. But that’s not the case.
There have been incidents where the app arises as an Oppo logo, in the form of Samsung, or even as a Motorola too. At the same time, you’ll find it featuring extreme encryption and heavy codes to halt reverse engineering.
In this way, the Java payload that’s inside DEX files is prevented from being discovered. But that’s not the only way that these malicious apps end up hiding.
Another technique is entering the list for ‘Recent Apps’ so that when it’s run in the background, there is no active process that would end up revealing it. And it’s just so concerning how the number of apps is literally increasing with each passing day.
Some have reached the 100,000 download mark too. And if we had to pick the most popular one, well, there isn’t just one but so many. Even while we write this particular article, there are still so many still wandering freely on the Google Play Store.
They include Animated Stickers Master, Walls Light, GPS Location Finder, and even Wallpapers Pack too. Since the report was first unveiled by Bleeping Computer, they’ve asked Google to take action on the matter.
As far as the rest of the list of apps is concerned, well, there is plenty present on a series of app stores belonging to third parties. As you can expect, the number of downloads is certainly higher in Google’s Play Store.
Researchers warn against such downloads. They claim if users do have them still on their devices, they should get them removed immediately.
In this particular instance, you might do yourselves a favor by using an AV Tool for mobiles to remove them since the apps disguise as Settings.
Read next: This New Study Reveals How Brand Loyalty is On the Decline
