A worrying new Android threat has been discovered that millions must not ignore.
Everyone who loves using Android must be on high alert and take care before installing any new apps onto their devices. It seems cyber crooks are, once again, trying to attack this hugely popular platform and not heeding the advice could leave smartphones rammed with annoying adverts that are impossible to remove.
The team at Malwarebytes has raised the latest alert after discovering the so-called “Kaleidoscope” bug. Over 100 applications are thought to have this threat tucked inside, and millions have already downloaded them.
The attack works by online thieves releasing fake versions of real apps found on the Google Play Store. Once installed, they look like the real deal and even have the same app ID as official versions.
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Sadly, if a user is tricked into downloading them – usually via unofficial app stores – they then face a screen with unskippable adverts.
Due to the way the attack works, the advertiser never knows anything is wrong, and the users can’t use their device without getting annoyed.
It’s a lose-lose for companies and consumers as firms are paying for the adverts to be shown and the phone owner gets a screen full of messages.
As Malwarebytes explains, “Advertisers believe they are paying for ads shown in the “legitimate” app, while users who download versions from third-party app stores are bombarded with the same ads—but they can’t skip them. Because both apps use the same app ID, advertisers never know the difference.”
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In a bid to stop anyone else becoming a victim of this attack, Malwarebytes has issued some important advice – don’t ignore these 5 top tips if you don’t want a phone full of annoying and unskippable adverts..
To keep your devices free from ad fraud related malware:
• Get your apps from the Google Play store whenever you can.
• Be careful about the permissions you allow a new app. Does it really need those permissions for what it’s supposed to do? In this case the “Display over other apps” should raise a red flag.
• Dubious ad sites often request permission to display notifications. Allowing this will increase the number of ads as they push them to the device’s notification bar.
• Use up-to-date and active security software on your Android.