Google has blocked 77 apps with millions of downloads after the discovery that they were laced with money-stealing malware.
Android users have been placed on red alert after the discovery that a number of apps have been infecting devices with scary banking malware. A number of applications are thought to have been affected, with them being downloaded millions of times. All were available on the Google Play Store, which is one of the reasons why they have managed to infect so many smartphones.
The threat was first spotted by the team at Zscaler’s ThreatLabs with many of the dangerous apps being laced with the dreaded Anatsa bug.
This malware first emerged in 2020 and is fully capable of credential theft, keylogging, and enabling fraudulent transactions.
What makes this attack scarier is the way it gets onto devices in the first place.
“Anatsa uses a dropper technique, where the threat actors use a decoy application in the official Google Play Store that appears benign upon installation,” Zscaler explained.
“Once installed, Anatsa silently downloads a malicious payload disguised as an update from its command-and-control (C2) server. This approach allows Anatsa to bypass Google Play Store detection mechanisms and successfully infect devices.”
It’s this infection method that makes it so hard to spot.
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Alongside Anatsa, there have been more attacks. In fact, ThreatLabz says it identified and reported 77 malicious applications from various malware families to Google. These include the worrying Joker bug which can read and send text messages, snap sneaky screenshots of what you are doing, make phone calls, and steal contact lists. It’s even been known to sign those infected up to premium servcies without them knowing..
“Our research demonstrates the techniques that Anatsa and other Android malware families leverage for distribution through the official Google Play Store,” Zscaler explained.
“Android users should always verify the permissions that applications request, and ensure that they align with the intended functionality of the application.”
That’s good advice and is worth remembering before installing any software onto your phone. Always check the reviews and spend some time researching the developer.
Making sure Google Play Protect is switched on is a good idea with this service checking apps and devices for harmful behaviour.
It also runs a safety check on apps from the Google Play Store before downloading them and warns about potentially harmful apps.
It may even deactivate or remove harmful apps from your device.