Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Adware on Google Play apps with millions of users


With hundreds of millions of users, the app stores are one of the most desirable methods to spread malware. And although there are systems in place designed to prevent it, it seems there's a new adware in apps used by over 5 million users on Google Play.

This "adware" exhibits similar symptoms to malware on a desktop computer, with popup windows prompting you to "update" of "fix" your device, and directing you to places where you can download more harmful apps, disguised as legitimate apps that promise to improve your device performance.

Security researchers have found this adware on the Durak game (listed as having 5-10 million apps), as well as other less known apps. And it too resorts to all sorts of tricks, like waiting for several weeks before showing any messages, or waiting for a reboot and unlock. Things that will make it harder to pinpoint which app may be causing it.

Anyway, it's kind of funny that some people ran away from the desktop computers to their smartphones and tablets as a way to escape this kind of infections in their computers... but malware seems to be adamant in tracking back where the users are and going after them. :)

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