Security researchers have discovered 470 Play Store apps that are cunningly subscribing to their users. This is done via the telephone bill, so that you only notice the damage later. 105 million Android users have already fallen victim to the malware.
‘Dark Herring’ malware
A new form of malware apps has been discovered that steal money from users in a devious way. The ‘Dark Herring’ malware – literally translated as ‘dark herring’ – lets users start a useless subscription paid through the phone bill. In this way it takes much longer before the costs appear on the telecom bill and victims only notice the losses much later.
This payment method from the Play Store is also called Direct Carrier Billing (DCB) and many smartphone users are not yet familiar with it. It is also relatively simple and fast when you do app purchases via DCB and that also entails risks. Below you can see how the apps redirect their victims to a webpage where they sign up for the subscription.
These are the malware apps
470 Dark Herring apps have been discovered and have since been removed from the Google Play Store. However, these apps can still cause harm if they are installed on your phone, so it’s best to uninstall them right away. The full list of 470 apps discover you here, but below we have already listed the most popular apps:
– Read more below this list –
- smashex
- Upgradem
- Stream HD
- Vidly Vibe
- Cast It
- My Translator Pro
- New Mobile Games
- StreamCast Pro
- Ultra Stream
- Photograph Labs Pro
- VideoProj Lab
- Drive Simulator
- Speedy Cars – Final Lap
- Football Legends
- Football HERO 2021
- Grand Mafia Auto
- Off Road Jeep Simulator
- Smashex Pro
- Racing City
- connector tool
- City Bus Simulator 2
Malware Campaign
Zimperium security researchers say 105 million people have been victims of the malware, writes Scammed?!. In Europe, most victims come from Scandinavia, Bulgaria and Greece. The subscriptions cost an average of 13 euros per month. Behind the 470 apps is a large-scale malware campaign that used modern techniques to play a role worldwide.
Did you have any of these malware apps on your phone? Perhaps you have been victimized by these malware apps yourself or by malware from the past? Let us know in the comments at the bottom of this article.
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– Thanks for information from Androidworld. Source