Security News > 2020 > March > Tekya Malware Threatens Millions of Android Users via Google Play

Researchers have discovered a new family of auto-clicker malware that commits mobile ad fraud, lurking in 56 apps on the Google Play store.

Google's uphill battle against malware on Google Play is well known, and the vendor has made a concerted effort in the last couple of years to get rid of bad or unpatched apps and malware.

In mid-February, Google revealed it was making headway in its fight against malware, saying that it removed 790,000 apps that violate Google's policies for app submission last year before they were ever published.

Now with the discovery of Tekya - which even eluded common anti-malware detections during research by Check Point - it seems that the tech giant likely needs to be even more vigilant in keeping apps on Google Play secure, researchers said.

Even during Check Point's investigation, security protections VirusTotal and Google Play Protect did not pick up the Tekya malware, researchers acknowledged, highlighting again that "The Google Play Store can still host malicious apps" despite advanced protections.

News URL

https://threatpost.com/tekya-malware-android-google-play/154064/