Google is testing a new way to manage APKs deemed dangerous. Their installation would be purely and simply blocked based on certain criteria. Explanations.
There are many malware on Android. In the vast majority of cases, smartphones are infected after downloading and then installing a APK file outside of Play store. As a reminder, APKs are a file type similar to executables (.exe) on Windows. They allow you to obtain apps other than through the Google platform. Problem: these programs are not analyzed by the company’s tools and are therefore much more likely to contain malware.
Android has been trying to stem the phenomenon for years. In 2022, Android 13 made installing APKs more difficult and last year, Google Play Protect antivirus became capable of scanning apps in real time for prevent infections. The risk is real. According to Google, victims lost the equivalent of 1000 billion dollars in 2023. In order to go further in the fight against this scourge, Google is launching a pilot experiment to block the installation of APKs under conditions.
On Android, the installation of applications outside the Play Store could be blocked depending on certain criteria
Under way in Singapore, the idea is toprevent the installation of APKs that request these specific permissions :
- RECEIVE_SMS : a hacker can use it to recover a password or a confirmation code sent by SMS.
- READ_SMS : a hacker can use it to read the content of your SMS and recover the information they contain.
- BIND_Notifications : the permission is used to read or delete notifications to prevent the victim from seeing them. For example security warnings.
- Accessibility : it gives access to numerous functions which the hacker can abuse to steal information, record keystrokes or even launch remote commands.
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“Based on our analysis of the top rogue malware families that exploit these sensitive execution permissions, we found that over 95% of installations came from sources [en dehors du Play Store]. […] When a user in Singapore attempts to install an app from an external source and one of these four permissions is requested, Play Protect will automatically block the installation by displaying an explanation to the user,” Google explains. . At the moment there are no plans to roll out this feature to other countries, but the firm does not exclude it if the tests are conclusive and the need exists.