Security News > 2023 > April > Goldoson Android Malware Infects Over 100 Million Google Play Store Downloads

A new Android malware strain named Goldoson has been detected in the official Google Play Store spanning more than 60 legitimate apps that collectively have over 100 million downloads.

An additional eight million installations have been tracked through ONE store, a leading third-party app storefront in South Korea.

The rogue component is part of a third-party software library used by the apps in question and is capable of gathering information about installed apps, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth-connected devices, and GPS locations.

Following responsible disclosure to Google, 36 of the 63 offending apps have been pulled from the Google Play Store.

The findings highlight the need for app developers to be transparent about the dependencies used in their software, not to mention take adequate steps to safeguard users' information against such abuse.

To mitigate such threats, users are recommended to only download apps from trusted sources, scrutinize app permissions, use strong passwords, enable multi-factor authentication, and exercise caution when receiving SMS or emails from unknown senders.

News URL

https://thehackernews.com/2023/04/goldoson-android-malware-infects-over.html