Malware campaign, as it can be termed, are a few malicious apps floating around Google Play and have the ability to bypass Google’s security checks. These fake apps are modified in such a way that they can sneak past advanced detection mechanisms by Google’s Bouncer. Google’s Bouncer is a mechanism that checks applications submitted to Google’s official app store.
According to a research, done by ESET, around 300 such apps have managed to pass the security guidelines and have made their way into the Google Play Store. On the other hand, Google’s security team is constantly on the move to fight such campaigns and removes the malicious apps from the Play Store frequently. However, malware developers are keeping up the pace and are still able to manage getting such apps back into the app store. Though Google’s security team is successful most of the times, this particular campaign is still getting out of hand.
So what exactly is this campaign?
Mobile malware developers do not seem much interested in your personal data anymore—not all of them. This campaign caters to more of money making and profits rather than stealing data from a phone.
The modus operandi—the malware app you may have installed, could actually stay running in the background, browsing through pornographic websites and automatically clicking on numerous ads that are available on it. This helps the developer make money from the ads that are clicked. Most often, this is done in the background without you even knowing about it. What you may lose is your data plan, but what they gain in return is huge. So their main focus is on profits from advertisements.
How can you protect yourself from these types of apps?
The only possible ways is to avoid downloading apps from unknown sources and the ones that have a bad rating. Check with feedbacks and comments for each app when you plan to download them. Even after downloading an app, Google prompts you to confirm installing it after showing you that the app has the access to your storage, phone calls, internet, etc. if you feel safe with this, then go ahead. But what if the app is a malware and the feedback and user ratings are good? Well, in that case nothing is as promising either. Ratings and comments can be fake too, luring the user into downloading them. Make sure you also install an antivirus to scan such malware apps.
For now, Google is strongly on the case and hopefully they will manage to eliminate all such cases now and in the future. But for now, users would have to be careful on the apps they download. Especially, keep away from apps available on third-party websites and app stores. Checking properly for app reviews can be a big help.
