Security News
A new and dangerous form of malware for rooting Android phones has been spotted in 19 apps on Google's Play store, as well as in several in the Amazon Appstore, the Samsung Galaxy Store, and other third-party sites. Dubbed AbstractEmu by bug-hunters at Lookout, who first spotted the code, the malware would give full access to all functions on an Android device and would be almost impossible to remove without doing a full system wipe.
An unidentified threat actor has been linked to a new Android malware strain that features the ability to root smartphones and take complete control over infected smartphones while simultaneously taking steps to evade detection. Lookout Threat Labs said it found a total of 19 Android applications that posed as utility apps and system tools like password managers, money managers, app launchers, and data saving apps, seven of which contained the rooting functionality.
A new variant of the Android info-stealer called FakeCop has been spotted by Japanese security researchers, who warn that the distribution of the malicious APK is picking up pace. Osumi, Yusuke October 19, 2021 Masked as a popular security tool.
New Android malware can root infected devices to take complete control and silently tweak system settings, as well as evade detection using code abstraction and anti-emulation checks. The malware, dubbed AbstractEmu by security researchers at the Lookout Threat Labs who found it, was bundled with 19 utility apps distributed via Google Play and third-party app stores.
A set of seemingly innocuous Android apps have been infecting Israeli users with spyware since 2018, and the campaign continues to this day. The spyware-laden apps were discovered by researchers at Qihoo 360 who found various apps disguised as social applications, Threema, Al-Aqsa Radio, Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jerusalem Guide, PDF viewer, Wire, and other applications.
A global fraud campaign has been found leveraging 151 malicious Android apps with 10.5 million downloads to rope users into premium subscription services without their consent and knowledge. The premium SMS scam campaign - dubbed "UltimaSMS" - is believed to commenced in May 2021 and involved apps that cover a wide range of categories, including keyboards, QR code scanners, video and photo editors, spam call blockers, camera filters, and games, with most of the fraudulent apps downloaded by users in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the U.A.E., Turkey, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, the U.S., and Poland.
Threat actors are using malicious Android apps to scam users into signing up for a bogus premium SMS subscription service, which results in big charges accruing on their phone bills. All of the offerings are "Essentially copies of the same fake app used to spread the premium SMS scam campaign," Vavra explained, which he said likely indicates that one bad actor or group is behind the entire campaign.
A massive fraud campaign utilizing 151 Android apps with 10.5 million downloads was used to subscribe users to premium subscription services without their knowledge. Researchers at Avast discovered the campaign, naming it 'UltimaSMS,' and reported 80 associated apps that they found on the Google Play Store.
Google has announced the launch of its first vulnerability rewards program for Android Enterprise with bounties of up to $250,000. "And since we believe scrutiny and transparency are key to improving security, we've launched our first Android Enterprise Vulnerability Rewards Program," said Rajeev Pathak, Senior Product Manager at Google.
Microsoft has released the first preview version of the Windows Subsystem for Android for Windows 11 Insiders, and one of the more interesting features is that you can sideload Android apps. The Windows Subsystem for Android is a new feature of Windows 11 that allows you to run native Android apps directly from the desktop in a virtualized environment.