Published on: October 17, 2024
More than 200 malicious apps have been detected in the Google Play Store over the past year, and all of the apps collectively have been downloaded close to eight million times, according to a recently pushed research.
Zscaler’s ThreatLabz team gathered data between June 2023 and April 2024 and identified various malware families across Google Play. The most prevalent threat, accounting for 38.2% of the discovered malware, was Joker. This malware steals personal information and intercepts SMS messages, often subscribing victims to expensive premium services without their knowledge.
Closely following Joker was Adware, responsible for 35.9% of the malicious apps. These apps aggressively bombard users with ads, either visibly on their screens or invisibly in the background, draining internet bandwidth and battery life while generating fraudulent ad impressions for the attackers.
Facestealer, which comprised 14.7% of the identified threats, steals Facebook login credentials by overlaying phishing forms onto legitimate social media applications, making it difficult for users to detect the fraud.
“It’s clear that threat actors are increasingly motivated by the profitability of attacks,” the researchers said, “either through direct monetary gain or the collection of personalized data and credentials.”
Other, less common but still dangerous threats included Coper (3.7%), an info-stealing malware that intercepts SMS messages, performs keylogging, and uses phishing overlays to steal data. Loanly Installer made up 2.3% of the identified malware, while Harly, at 1.4%, subscribed victims to premium services through Trojan apps.
Finally, Anatsa (or Teabot), representing 0.9% of the malicious apps, is a sophisticated banking Trojan. It specifically targets over 650 banking applications worldwide.
The US leads as the most common target for cybercriminals, driven by its highly connected and tech-savvy population, according to Zscaler. Japan, China, Singapore, and Germany follow closely behind. However, when it comes to mobile malware specifically, India takes the top spot. Rounding out the top five for mobile malware targets are the US, Canada, South Africa, and the Netherlands.