New Game Store Warning
It comes only 24 hours after Google’s latest warning that Android is under attack, a new report has revealed a “extensive, sophisticated advertising fraud scheme that has collected more than 56 million downloads for 180 malicious applications. Google has now deleted all these apps from its game store, but has done serious damage. Users must tread through their phones and remove insignificant, empty applications.
While advertising fraud does not receive the same attention as phishing and malware attacks, it works on a massive scale, and it reduces your experience on your phone and the apps you use. It also generates millions of fraudulent income for attackers, and those funds are often used much more dangerous.
Integral Ad Science (IAS), which discovered this new threat, has called it “steam”, given “its ability to” evaporate “any real functionality from applications, leaving behind only intervention advertising. Vapor uses non -suspected users and advertising networks, representing a highly organized and widespread advertising scheme.”
These so -called “steam” applications are only the latest to “imitate legitimate applications”, and they aim for categories familiar with ordinary empty functionality that continues to be connected to millions if users. Lights of lights, QR code readers, horoscope and the like. Please stop downloading such applications from unknown developers. It is a dangerous habit.
Typical ‘steam’ apps to the game store.
“These fraudulent models allow applications to penetrate user equipment without suspicion, enabling fraudulent degree activities. Version 1 of these apps were introduced to Google Play as functional applications. However, subsequent updates removed legitimate functionality, replacing it with tactics to maximize advertising advertising with full video advertising. starting the app and the visible UI elements at the expense of deteriorating user experience. “
This devoted methodology cheated on Google’s game stores using a vanilla version of the app as a Trojan beginner horse before being updated with a fraudulent advertising code, an updating not a new app. “Believing that these applications to provide beneficial functionality, users continue to install them … However, the real purpose of these applications quickly becomes visible. After installation, these applications are often accompanied by continuous notice, providing in detail their continuous operation. Some of these applications have no visible icons or ‘open’ buttons available to the user.”
The “attack” itself was a on -screen reception, with full -screen ads shown in a way that prevented a user from closing the app or returning to the starting screen, “effectively grabbing the device screen and making the user device largely non -functional.” App identifiers can be found through the IAS report.
IAS says some of the “steam” applications reached more than a million downloads. “To artificially increase rankings and visibility, the threat actors are likely to use the application installation schemes, forcing the installations on the equipment. This strategy has not only inflated the download numbers, but also positioned these applications higher in the ranking, eventually leading to legal users that detect and install them.”
Typical ‘steam’ app grab.
In response to the report, Google says: “If we find applications that violate our policies, we take appropriate action. We have removed all the apps identified in this report from Google Play. Android users are also automatically protected from associated applications known to display this type of behavior by Google Play Protect, which is in default on android devices. It will automatically disable these applications, even when applications come from out -of -game sources. “
Scott Pierce, head of cheating protection on the ICK, told me “We found steam applications to present users with continuous and full -screen intervention that prevent users from interacting with or even uninstalling them from their devices. Quickly the Google Play Protect will now warn the users and automatically disable these apps
The IAS describes this as “a ruthless fraud operation, created to manipulate and make money on the scale. Threat actors systematically built or earned a wide arsenal of applications – often UI – Leveraging app install schemes to manipulate the rankings.” The scheme with quickly and outward cycling applications, reaching over one million downloads of record, degree, speed and perseverance highlighting the advertising fraud and the constant challenge to stay before these operations.
As for users – stop installing empty, nonsense apps on your phone.
Really really simple as she is.