Tag: mcafee

Android Malware Infecting 60 Apps With Over 100 Million Downloads Discovered on Google Play Store: Details

A new Android malware has been discovered by a team of security researchers at McAfee. The malware, dubbed ‘Goldoson’, has infected 60 apps that have a total of over 100 million downloads on the Google Play Store. It can collect data on installed apps, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-connected devices, and track location. Also, it can perform ad fraud by clicking ads in the background without the consent of users. Android users in South Korea are said to have been affected by the latest malware. Apps like Swipe Brick Breaker, Money Manager, and GOM Player have been affected by the malware.

Researchers at security software firm McAfee have identified the Android-based Goldoson malware. Once installed, it collects sensitive data including lists of applications installed, details about the devices paired through Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and nearby GPS locations. McAfee also claims that the malware can perform ad fraud by clicking advertisements in the background without the user’s consent.

The infected apps on the Google Play Store have a total of over 100 million downloads. Applications from South Korea’s ONE store are also affected by the malware and they have been installed around 8 million times. These include L.POINT with L.PAY, Swipe Brick Breaker, and Money Manager Expense & Budget which have 10 million downloads on Android app stores.

GOM Player, Live Score, Real-Time Score, Pikicast, Compass 9: Smart Compass, GOM Audio, Lotte Word Magicpass, Bounce Brick Breaker, Infinite Slice, SomNote, Korea Subway Info: Metroid are some of the other apps impacted by Goldoson.

McAfee has also confirmed that the discovered apps were reported to Google, and the tech giant notified the developers that their apps affected by the malware. Many of the affected apps were said to be cleaned up by the developers while some were removed from Google Play for violating the company’s app store policies.

Android users with any of these apps on their phones should update them to the latest version. Users are also advised to avoid installing any unknown or suspicious apps on their smartphones. They should also re-check app permissions to limit access of third parties to their device hardware.

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Google Play Removes 16 Apps Causing Battery Drain, Excessive Data Usage: See List

Google has reportedly removed 16 apps from the Play Store that were causing faster battery drain and higher network usage on users’ devices. The applications, which were identified by a security firm, allegedly performed ad fraud by opening web pages in the background to click on advertisements while masquerading as a real user, according to a report. The apps had a total of 20 million installations, according to the security firm, before they were taken down from the Play Store.

According to a report by Ars Technica, Google has removed 16 applications from the Play Store, which were detected by McAfee. The apps, which were previously available to download on Android smartphones and tablets, were listed as utilty applications allowing users to scan QR codes, turn on the device’s flash as a torch, or convert various measurements, as per the security firm.

The list of removed applications includes “utility” apps such as BusanBus, Joycode, Currency Converter, High-Speed Camera, Smart Task Manager, Flashlight+, K-Dictionary, Quick Note, EzDica, Instagram Profile Downloader, and Ez Notes.

McAfee found that these applications would download code once they were opened, which and receive notifications to to open web pages without alerting the user, clicking on links and advertisements. This activity would artificially raise the engagement on these ads, which is a form of ad fraud.

The security firm found that the apps that were removed came with adware code called “com.liveposting” and “com.click.cas”, libraries that would allow them to click on links and advertisements. This would take place without a user’s knowledge and cause additional battery drain and increased network usage.

Google told Ars Technica that all the applications were removed from the Play Store, and that Play Protect blocks these apps on users’ devices. However, McAfee’s report that the apps would download additional code after the apps were installed, suggests that they managed to bypass Google’s protections on the Play Store.

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