Malware News Palestinian spyware in Google Play Store

[shmu26]

Content source

https://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/248373

As of January 2018, the Department of Information Security has begun to receive requests from dozens of soldiers who claim to have encountered suspicious individuals on social media who tried to make them download applications from the official Google app store. Following the soldiers' reports, the Information Security Department opened an investigation. The investigation revealed that the network was an intelligence operation of the Hamas terrorist organization. The applications included a World Cup app as well as two dating apps.

The applications the Hamas agents attempted to have the soldiers download featured extensive capabilities including the collection of information about the device, gathering the user's contact list, collecting SMS messages, locating places, listening volume, downloading additional files, collecting files, photos and videos. It was also revealed that the Hamas agents were more sophisticated in their approach than they had been during previous attempts to gather intelligence from IDF soldiers, and used WhatsApp in addition to Facebook to send messages.

In addition, Hamas uploaded the applications to the official Google store to entice their targets.


Hamas's new espionage system exposed

 

[upnorth]

Sad they didn't shared a few screenshots and better details specific about the apps as other news normaly tends to do as it would have made possible for anyone else to investigate or backtrack.

Thanks for share as it's interesting.

 

[shmu26]

Sad they didn't shared a few screenshots and better details specific about the apps as other news normaly tends to do as it would have made possible for anyone else to investigate or backtrack.

Israeli security forces discovered it and took it down -- so it's all classified information.

 

[upnorth]

Israeli security forces discovered it and took it down -- so it's all classified information.

Israeli Security Forces are extremely effective but put the lid on such a common subject like malicious apps and don't share anything more then they did now, force everybody to blindly trust there words only. That could very easy been avoided IMO but it's ofcourse in the end there decision.

 

[Ink]

Like Facebook, Google is failing to protect their users.

 

[SumTingWong]

Like Facebook, Google is failing to protect their users.

This is why a lot of people like IOS and Apple Store because it is more secure than Android and Google PlayStore/MalwareStore.

 

[CyberTech]

This is why a lot of people like IOS and Apple Store because it is more secure than Android and Google PlayStore/MalwareStore.

Very true but too bad because an iPhone are not cheaper then Android...

 

[Ink]

Very true but too bad because an iPhone are not cheaper then Android...

A typical uneducated response.

You can get a brand new (unboxed) Apple iPhone 7 for less than an Android flagship. Apple supports their devices longer than most Android flagships, even the iPhone 5S is expected to receive iOS 12.

 

[upnorth]

A typical uneducated response.

You can get a brand new (unboxed) Apple iPhone 7 for less than an Android flagship. Apple supports their devices longer than most Android flagships, even the iPhone 5S is expected to receive iOS 12.

A brand new latest version from Apple ( iPhone X ) here in Sweden cost around 1070 GBP ( 1411 USD ) and the most expensive Android phone ( Samsung S9+ ) is around 942 GBP ( 1242 USD ) but yes ofcourse one can get a iPhone 6 or 7 for a pretty good price and those works just fine.

 

[Ink]

A brand new latest version from Apple ( iPhone X ) here in Sweden cost around 1070 GBP ( 1411 USD ) and the most expensive Android phone ( Samsung S9+ ) is around 942 GBP ( 1242 USD ) but yes ofcourse one can get a iPhone 6 or 7 for a pretty good price and those works just fine.

Prices drop after a newer iPhone is released.

Your company may provide or as a business owner you can get iPhones much cheaper than the average consumer.

Let's not ignore - Apple develop their own in-house chips that are ultimately, well optimised for iPhones, both more powerful and efficient. While I don't understand all the technical jargon, the A11 Bionic is better than Snapdragon 845 - according to many online sources I've read and watched.

Android flagships of 2018 might get 2 years of updates. Apple iPhones 5S/6/SE/6S/7/8/X all still receive updates. Find the difference.

Both are great choices, but the "too expensive" or "not value for money" crap is over the top rubbish.

/Off-topic

 

[upnorth]

Prices drop after a newer iPhone is released.

Android flagships of 2018 might get 2 years of updates. Apple iPhones 5S/6/SE/6S/7/8/X all still receive updates. Find the difference.
/Off-topic

As soon you take it out of the shop it also drops in price. Same thing with a brand new car.

The constant updates on iPhones is smart as for a Android phone with Zero updates after just 2 years feels as a waste of money but on the other hand if it's the company that pays it dosen't matter but back on topic, I do hope Google will be able to thwart the constant malicious issues on there app store as it's a poor comfort for a user that Google deletes a malicious app, after it already infected.

 

[CyberTech]

A typical uneducated response.

You can get a brand new (unboxed) Apple iPhone 7 for less than an Android flagship. Apple supports their devices longer than most Android flagships, even the iPhone 5S is expected to receive iOS 12.

Offtopic:

Yea i know man well i'm not talking about top android phones, im talking about any normal android phones they are cheaper then the iPhone, and the 5c,5s,6,6s,7... they dont have good camera and battery which its old take a look at The compare its cheap they have good camera, battery and ram...

 

[shmu26]

Israeli security forces discovered it and took it down -- so it's all classified information.

The old trick the Palestinians were using was they put agents on Facebook posing as hot chicks, and they tried to persuade Israeli soldiers to install a hacked messenging app on their phone. But the Israelis got smart to this trick.
This new exploit upped the ante by urging the soldiers to download an app straight from the Google store. What could be wrong with a Google-certified app?