Subj : This wallet-draining Google Play malware has been installed over
To   : All
From : TechnologyDaily
Date : Fri May 05 2023 13:15:03

This wallet-draining Google Play malware has been installed over half a 
million times - these are the apps to watch out for

Date:
Fri, 05 May 2023 12:04:42 +0000

Description:
The Fleckpe malware is signing Android users up for premium services and 
stealing their cash.

FULL STORY
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A newly-detected mobile malware family has been sitting in the Google Play 
Store and raking up mobile bills for hundreds of thousands of people, new 
findings have said. 

Cybersecurity researchers from Kaspersky recently discovered Fleckpe, which 
they say was integrated into at least 11 Android apps that have cumulatively 
been downloaded roughly 620,000 times. 

The apps are mostly image editors, wallpapers, beauty apps, and similar. 
Targeting Malaysians and Indonesians 

When a victim installs the app, the malware would silently trigger either a 
one-time, or monthly, subscription, to certain premium services. These 
premium services could either belong to a third party, with the malware 
operators getting a cut, or they could belong to the threat actors 
themselves, allowing them to take the full amount. 

Whatever the case may be, the attackers earned quite the sum, as the 
researchers found the malware active at least since 2022, although the exact 
sum is unknown. Most of the victims are located in Thailand, Malaysia, 
Indonesia, Singapore, and Poland, with a smaller percentage being scattered 
around the world. 

"All of the apps had been removed from the marketplace by the time our report 
was published, but the malicious actors might have deployed other, as yet 
undiscovered, apps, so the real number of installations could be higher," 
Kaspersky said. Read more 

> This dangerous Android malware is seeing a huge rise in infections 


 > Dangerous new 'Hook' Android malware lets hackers remotely control your 
phone 


 > Check out the best endpoint protection software right now 

The full list of the malicious apps can be found on this link . Users are 
advised to uninstall them immediately, and run an antivirus scan to clean up 
any residual code. 

This type of malware will not ask for a ransom payment, and wont destroy the 
data on the endpoint, but it could steal personally identifiable information, 
and will definitely result in higher charges from the telecoms provider. To 
prevent such incidents, its advised to check the reviews and ratings on the 
app store before downloading anything. Here are the best firewall options 
around 

Via: BleepingComputer



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Link to news story:
https://www.techradar.com/news/this-google-play-malware-has-been-installed-ove
r-half-a-million-times-so-remove-now


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