Apps contained a "fake" ad network, directed users to install malware disguised as free applications
Yesterday, the folks over at Lookout divulged their latest find. 32 applications, mostly Russian language, were found to contain what Lookout calls "BadNews" -- a new piece of code that facilitates easy installation of malware onto users phones who have it installed. They estimate that apps containing BadNews have been installed over 2,000,000 times. While this is but a small drop compared to the hundreds of millions of Android devices and 25+ Billion apps installed from the Play store, it's still quite the eye popping number.
BadNews is disguised as an ad network. Besides serving ads for other less popular apps containing the BadNews code, it has the ability to send some of your private data (including your phone number and IMEI) to a server. It also displays fake news messages about app updates and links to actual malware that a user could install outside Google Play.
The offending applications, distributed across four different developer accounts, have been purged from Google Play. If you think you may have been affected, or are running one of the apps, Lookout's security application can assist in identifying the things you need to remove.
We appreciate a well researched and legitimate look at malware like this news, and don't want it to get buried like the so many FUD stories around the Internet that are speculation with no numbers. For a list of the applications, and a look at how this was discovered, click the source link below. Carry past the break for some further discussion.
Source: Lookout
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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/androidcentral/~3/-0383vUYeYQ/story01.htm
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