Wed 14 June 2023:
Over 60,000 Android apps have silently and covertly loaded adware on mobile devices over the past six months while remaining unnoticed.
The antivirus company Bitdefender claims to have found 60,000 distinct samples (unique apps) harboring the adware to yet and estimates there are many more out there in the wild, according to BleepingComputer.
The campaign, which was launched in October 2022, used third-party websites to distribute false security software, gaming cracks, cheats, VPN software, Netflix, and utility programs.
Users in the US are primarily targeted, followed by South Korea, Brazil, Germany, the UK, and France.
Moreover, the report showed that the malicious apps are hosted on third-party websites in Google Search that push APKs, Android packages that allow users to manually install mobile apps, rather than on Google Play.
When users visit the sites, they will either be redirected to advertisements or prompted to download the app they are looking for.
According to the research, the download sites are specifically designed to deliver malicious Android software as APKs, which, when loaded, infect Android smartphones with adware.
Malware makers target Android devices because they can install software outside of the Google Play Store, where they are not better screened for malware.
However, threat actors continue to avoid detection, even on Google Play, allowing malicious apps to spread widely.
Just this week, Dr. Web and CloudSEK researchers identified a dangerous spyware SDK that had been installed over 400 million times on Android devices via Google Play apps.
While Google Play still has potentially dangerous apps, installing apps from the official Android store is far safer. It’s also a bad idea to install Android apps from third-party websites, as they’re a common source of malware.
These incidents serve as a reminder for users to exercise caution when downloading apps and extensions from unofficial sources. It is crucial to stick to reputable app stores and regularly update device security software to protect against such threats.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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