Android Users Warned Of Apps Being Hijacked to Spread Viruses
Saturday, 29 April 2023
Three new strains of malware have been found to be rapidly spreading through multiple different legitimate Android applications. One of the three strains of malware, Autolycos, has already been downloaded more than three million times. Autolycos contains capabilities to harvest SMS messages, in addition to being able to execute remote code.
The other two strains of malware found to be spreading rapidly are a spyware dubbed Joker, and a trojan dubbed Harly. Joker harvests SMS messages, phone contacts, and device identifiers. Harly is more concerned with the user's mobile network, containing the ability to reroute traffic through its own servers.
The leading Android-based malware to watch for still remains GinMaster, which now makes up 6% of all Android-based malware attacks. After installation, GinMaster hooks its root shell deep into the device partition, allowing it to remain undetected. Even uninstallation of the original application will leave a full functional copy of the the virus residing within the device partition itself.
Antivirus provider MalwareFox weighed in on how this malware gets downloaded by unsuspecting users. "Cyber criminals download ordinary apps from Google Play, add malicious code to them, and then submit the modified versions to Google Play with a new name. The functionality indicated in the description of the apps may still be present, thus users may not even be aware that a vulnerability exists."
The following 19 apps have been found to contain one of the new strains of malware at the time of writing, though the malware is expected to be added to other apps in the near future.
- Amazing Wallpaper
- Blood Pressure Checker
- Color Message
- Cool Emoji Editor and Sticker
- Cool Keyboard
- Creative 3D Launcher
- Delicate Messenger
- Fare Gamehub and Box
- Gif Emoji Keyboard
- Hope Camera-Picture Record
- Instant Heart Rate Anytime
- Private Messenger
- Premium SMS
- Paint Art
- Same Launcher and Live Wallpaper
- Simple Note Scanner
- Universal PDF Scanner
- Vlog Star Video Editor
- Wow Beauty Camera
