the Play store can sometimes let dangerous applications pass through it. In this case, several apps concealed a variant of a malware well known.
The Joker malware has been wreaking havoc on Android for years, and after a brief lull, it is now making a comeback in Google’s software ecosystem via several malicious apps released on the Play Store.
Stolen data and unwanted billing
Once installed on a terminal, Joker can allow hackers to access sensitive information such as messages, the contact list or information relating to the device used.
But the malware has mainly built a reputation for acts of billing fraud and premium SMS. If your smartphone is infected, it then becomes likely to subscribe to services, pay for applications without your intervention or send SMS to a special premium rate number.
Trojans of this kind are able to circumvent the protection and detection of robots on websites, explains Igor Golovin, a cybersecurity expert from the Kaspersky company. In some cases, they forcibly subscribe users to phantom platforms run by the hackers themselves, who then collect your money directly.
Three apps bypassed Play Store security
Three applications hosting Joker have been identified: Style Message, Blood Pressure App and Camera PDF Scanner. If you have installed one of them on your mobile, it is urgent to uninstall it. You can also factory reset your phone for added security.
Google has already removed the three guilty apps from its Play Store, but they remain available on alternative app stores.
Typically, hackers download a legitimate app from the Play Store, copy it, and add malicious code to it. It is then offered on the store under another name and a different logo. Play Store systems do not detect malicious functions because they are put to sleep while the app is validated. Once it is published, hackers activate the functionality in question.
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The Google Play Store has lost nearly 1 million apps in the past 4 years
Source : The Hacker News
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