The Hacker News reports that nearly 30 apps in the Google Play Store downloaded almost 10 million times have been laced with adware.
Such adware apps include image-editing software, system tools and utilities, virtual keyboards, wallpaper collection apps, and calling apps, which primarily request permissions to display intrusive advertisements, a Dr.Web report found.
While some of the identified apps including Yoga- For Beginner to Advanced and Water Reminder- Tracker & Reminder have the advertised functionality, some launcher, emoji stickers, and camera apps were discovered to have Joker malware distribution capabilities. Some image editing software apps have been found to compromise users' Facebook accounts.
"Upon launching, they asked potential victims to log in to their accounts and then loaded a genuine Facebook authorization page. Next, they hijacked the authentication data and sent it to malicious actors," said Dr.Web. Users have been urged to be more wary of the apps they are downloading from app stores.
Kaspersky tells SC Media that the cybersecurity firm is unaware of victims outside the company and is not attributing the activity to a government or other actor.
The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) has published a report on potential cybersecurity threats for 2030, trying to anticipate future security risks based on current trends and expert opinions. While some of the less likely predictions may touch on science fiction, the top two anticipated threats are already with us today: software supply chain compromises and AI-enhanced disinformation campaigns.