Android users urged to delete six dangerous apps
Android smartphones are some of the most popular handheld devices around the world. However, if you have an Android smartphone, a new report may urge you to reconsider which apps you have installed on your phone. Researchers from Pradeo have warned about six dangerous apps that can swindle you out of thousands. The apps are loaded with a dangerous malware dubbed Joker, according to Pradeo.
Joker is a malicious bot (categorized as Fleeceware) which main activity is to simulate clicks and intercept SMS to subscribe to unwanted paid premium services unbeknownst to users. By using as little code as possible and thoroughly hiding it, Joker generates a very discreet footprint that can be tricky to detect.
The six apps are: Safety AppLock, Convenient Scanner 2, Push Message-Texting&SMS, Emoji Wallpaper, Separate Doc Scanner and Fingertip GameBox.
Hank Schless, Senior Manager, Security Solutions at Lookout, a San Francisco, Calif.-based provider of mobile phishing solutions, says, “Joker is difficult to detect, but Lookout researchers continue to see it popping up in Android apps. The size of our mobile dataset allows us to leverage security telemetry of over 100 million mobile apps to detect and protect against the latest apps infected with Joker. Because of how frequently Joker and other discreet malware appear in a wide variety of apps, mobile users need to leverage mobile security in order to keep themselves and their organizations safe. Especially in a time of global remote work, mobile devices and tablets are used for both work and personal reasons. If you download an app infected with Joker or other malware, you’re giving the threat actor access to your personal data as well as any company data you access from that device.”
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