Fraudulent Photo App Operation Detected on Google Store

[silversurfer]

Content source

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/white-ops-chartreuse-blur/

Researchers have exposed a malicious cyber-operation involving fraudulent photo-editing apps, none of which were found to function as advertised.

New research published today by White Ops’ Satori threat intelligence team revealed 29 fraudulent apps to be part of a nefarious cyber-scheme that they have named Chartreuse Blur.

The apps, which have already been downloaded 3.5 million times from the Google Play Store, cause out-of-context (OOC) ads to run rampant on a compromised device and randomly open web browsers while the device is in use.

Researchers noted that any time a compromised device is unlocked, plugged into a charger, or even switches cellular networks, an OOC ad pops up on the home screen, whether the fraudulent app is open or not. [...]

One of the apps exposed by researchers, the Square Photo Blur app, has since been removed from the Google Play Store.

 

[jetman]

Apps with very similar names remain in the Play Store... are these Square Blue Photo under a different guise ?

Square Blur Photo – Apps on Google Play

Square Blur Photo help you create square photos with Blur effect total free 100%

play.google.com

Blur Photo Square : Image Blur – Apps on Google Play

Blur background, Frames, Square blur, Cascade, Blur templates, Photo blur editor

play.google.com

 

[silversurfer]

Apps with very similar names remain in the Play Store... are these Square Blue Photo under a different guise ?

Researchers wrote about remaining "blur apps" the following below:

"All of the apps in this investigation feature developers whose “names” are common English language names smashed together, seemingly at random."

Bringing Blur Apps Into Focus

The White Ops Threat Intelligence and Research Team uncovered an operation dubbed 'ChartreuseBlur', a collection of blur apps committing ad fraud.

www.whiteops.com