Android Market: games contain malware

900913

http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Android-games-contain-malware-1424408.html

Symantec is reporting that 13 Android apps are infected with malware. The download figures for the apps in question suggest that many hundreds of thousands of smartphones and tablets may be affected. The affected applications are games from iApps7 Inc, Ogre Games and redmicapps and are infected with a trojan called Counterclank which Symantec says is a modified version of last year's Tonclank trojan. The apps request unusually extensive permissions during installation, such as access to the bookmarks list, browser history, location data, telephone status and identity information.

Affected devices can be identified by the presence of a service named apperhand and in some cases by the appearance of a search icon on the home screen. According to Symantec, the malware reads data such as bookmarks, device information, IMEI and SIM card numbers and modifies the browser's start page. The criminals behind the malware make their money by displaying unsolicited ads. The malware is relatively easy to remove and can be uninstalled under Settings ➤ Applications ➤ Manage applications. Some of the apps listed by Symantec are apparently still available in the Android Market.

Android.Counterclank Found in Official Android Market

Publisher Malicious App Title Category iApps7 Inc Counter Elite Force Arcade & Action iApps7 Inc Counter Strike Ground Force Arcade & Action iApps7 Inc CounterStrike Hit Enemy Arcade & Action iApps7 Inc Heart Live Wallpaper Entertainment iApps7 Inc Hit Counter Terrorist Arcade & Action iApps7 Inc Stripper Touch girl Entertainment Ogre Games Balloon Game Sports Games Ogre Games Deal & Be Millionaire Sports Games Ogre Games Wild Man Arcade & Action redmicapps Pretty women lingerie puzzle Photography redmicapps Sexy Girls Photo Game Lifestyle redmicapps Sexy Girls Puzzle Brain & Puzzle redmicapps Sexy Women Puzzle Brain & Puzzle



Links:
http://www.h-online.com/security/news/item/Android-games-contain-malware-1424408.html
http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/androidcounterclank-found-official-android-market

Atomic Pineapple

Cant find one of them apps or anything to do with the publisher on Google play, its not like Symantec don't have a vested interested in spreading "news" like this either.

Professey Chin

Is there really people whod look at any of those and think things like "Hmmmm CounterStrike Hit Enemy Arcade & Action sounds like an awesome game"

GreenWolfe

The Symantec article is dated 27 Jan 2012, and the h-online article is dated 30 January 2012. This is all old news, they've long been removed.

PogMoThoin

Don't forget folks, Protect yourself with Symantec Android solutions.......


Scaremongering, talking up rogue apps to ensure themselves a place in the market.

irishgeo

PogMoThoin wrote: »

Don't forget folks, Protect yourself with Symantec Android solutions.......


Scaremongering, talking up rogue apps to ensure themselves a place in the market.

one wonder who developed and posted the apps in the first place.

900913

I only read about it today and checked my brothers android, he had "Deal & Be Millionaire" installed. He must of downloaded it a while ago?

EarthlyPangaea wrote: »

The Symantec article is dated 27 Jan 2012, and the h-online article is dated 30 January 2012. This is all old news, they've long been removed.

GreenWolfe

900913 wrote: »

I only read about it today and checked my brothers android, he had "Deal & Be Millionaire" installed. He must of downloaded it a while ago?

I found Deal & Be Millionaire on Google Play. The D&BM app listed in the Symantec article was by Ogre Games, and in the Sports Games section. The D&BM app I found is by Dark Sky Game, and it's in the Brain & Puzzle section. Maybe they're different games, I have no idea. You'd have to compare screenshots on your brother's phone to see which app is which.

I found Ogre Games on Google Play, seems like my earlier comment was premature. Wild Man is still there, now in Sports Games (rather than Arcade and Action as listed in the source link, maybe it changed places too?). There are three Balloon games, one of which is in the source link as well as two other Balloon games. Weirder and weirder. I notice that Wild Man (called Wild Jump in the description) and D&BM carry the same "Please read notice". Same developer or just copying and pasting?

900913

I uninstalled Deal & Be Millionaire straight away after reading articial. Just realised there now that if there was malware in it uninstalling the app is unlikley to remove it.

Professey Chin

EarthlyPangaea wrote: »

I found Deal & Be Millionaire on Google Play. The D&BM app listed in the Symantec article was by Ogre Games, and in the Sports Games section. The D&BM app I found is by Dark Sky Game, and it's in the Brain & Puzzle section. Maybe they're different games, I have no idea. You'd have to compare screenshots on your brother's phone to see which app is which.

I found Ogre Games on Google Play, seems like my earlier comment was premature. Wild Man is still there, now in Sports Games (rather than Arcade and Action as listed in the source link, maybe it changed places too?). There are three Balloon games, one of which is in the source link as well as two other Balloon games. Weirder and weirder. I notice that Wild Man (called Wild Jump in the description) and D&BM carry the same "Please read notice". Same developer or just copying and pasting?

A lot of Spam devs repackage as popular names to try and get more attention.

Atomic Pineapple

900913 wrote: »

I uninstalled Deal & Be Millionaire straight away after reading articial. Just realised there now that if there was malware in it uninstalling the app is unlikley to remove it.

Yes it is, Android isn't like Windows, if you want just check the SD card for any suspicious folders/files and delete them.

D_BEAR

Old news symantec had to backtrack as they jumped the gun and got it wrong
http://www.theverge.com/2012/1/30/2759463/symantec-clarifies-android-counterclank-malware-claim-no-longer-calls