Android Malware: Joker Still Fools Google's Defense, New Clicker Found

LASER_oneXM

Level 37
Thread author
Verified
Top Poster
Well-known
Feb 4, 2016
2,520
Joker malware that subscribes Android users to premium services without consent is giving Google a hard time as new samples constantly bypass scrutiny and end up in Play Store.
The malware is under constant development and new samples found in the official Android repository seem to be created specifically to avoid Google's detection mechanisms.

Also known as Bread, the malware is a spyware and premium dialer that can access notifications, read and send SMS texts. These capabilities are used to invisibly subscribe victims to premium services.

Joker avoids US and Canada

Researchers at Check Point discovered four new samples in Play Store recently, in apps with a cumulative installation count higher than 130,000. The malware was hidden in camera, wallpaper, SMS, and photo editing software:
...
...
...
 

upnorth

Level 68
Verified
Top Poster
Malware Hunter
Well-known
Jul 27, 2015
5,458
New Joker samples emerge almost every day in Google's Play Store, says Aviran Hazum, mobile security researcher at Check Point.

Tatyana Shishkova, Android malware analyst at Kaspersky, has been tweeting about apps with Joker code since October, 2019. She listed over 70 compromised apps that made it into Play Store, many having at least 5,000 installations and a few with more than 50,000. Almost all of them have been removed from the repository. At least, three totaling more than 21,000 installations, are still present, as Shishkova shows with a tweet today
Glad to see all those reported are now gone, but if new ones emerge every single day and thousands upon thousands sadly gets infected, Google apparently still has a long way to go.
 

g4nu5

Level 2
Verified
Dec 5, 2018
76
thnx and really as like previous comment its Glad to see all those reported are now gone .
 
  • Like
Reactions: upnorth

About us

  • MalwareTips is a community-driven platform providing the latest information and resources on malware and cyber threats. Our team of experienced professionals and passionate volunteers work to keep the internet safe and secure. We provide accurate, up-to-date information and strive to build a strong and supportive community dedicated to cybersecurity.

User Menu

Follow us

Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to know first about the latest cybersecurity incidents and malware threats.

Top