technology
Privacy and security
Again: Malicious apps have attacked Android users
The applications used a malware called "Joker" that knows how to extract information from SMS messages - and subscribe to paid services without the user's knowledge.
Cyber security company Check Point: "This is a damage with a clear financial purpose."
This is how you will take care of yourself
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Android
Walla!
technology
Tuesday, 27 July 2021, 11:01 Updated: 11:55
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(Photo: ShutterStock)
Despite Google's efforts to clean up the app store, malicious applications still manage to infiltrate: Researchers from Zscaler, a company that provides information security and cloud services, have identified 11 apps for Android that contained a malware called "Joker".
All of the apps in question impersonated legitimate applications: some offered translation services, such as Translate Free; Another impersonating a barcode scanning application (Comply QR Scanner); And there is also one that was used as an alternative to the standard keyboard (Delux Keyboard).
"Joker is a malware with a clear financial purpose," says Aviran Hazum, head of the mobile research team at the cyber security company Check Point. "By registering victims for various services (horoscope and Fact of the Day and the like) without the victim's approval or knowledge, the player behind the damage receives 'premiums' for each customer he registers for the service."
The Joker also has the ability to open a hidden browser from the user, discover landing pages of paid services and begin the victim registration process.
"By using the Notification Listener component and the permissions to delete the SMS messages, the damaged party can read the messages sent with the verification code of the registration to the service, and delete the message so that the victim is not even aware that the registration has been made," Hazum emphasizes.
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The malicious apps
Free Affluent Message
PDF Photo Scanner
Deluxe Keyboard
Comply QR Scanner
PDF Converter Scanner
Font Style Keyboard
Translate Free
Saying Message
Private Message
Read Scanner
Print Scanner
How can we protect ourselves?
"We will always check what approaches the app requires - and we will not install applications whose requirements do not exceed the logic. For example, a plant identification app with access to phone calls," says Tom Malka, senior threat analyst at Security Joes in a conversation with Walla!
technology.
"We will always download apps from the official source - true, even in this case the apps were in the official app store and were still malicious, but the risk of downloading apps from external sources is even greater," Malka adds.
"It is also recommended to scan the device frequently - antiviruses tend to be regularly updated on threats once they are detected, this step can be helpful in detecting malicious applications that are still installed on the device."
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