According to a recent report by the well-known security company “Trend Micro”, a new variant of a severe malware could have already infected up to 800 applications in Google Play Store. Not only that, even this new dangerous malware also steals user data then plays hide and seek.
This Malware Steals User Data Then Plays Hide And Seek
We are accustomed to the fact that Windows, famous for its (relative) insecurity towards other operating systems, is the preferred target of cybercriminals and the software they develop. But recently a news brings a bad situation for Linux, the latest news on malicious software also affects to Android, that in the end, it has long been the most used operating system in the world.
The new concern of cybersecurity professionals is named as Xavier. We speak of a virus that executes remote code in order to steal passwords and other private data, showing special interest in those related to online payment gateways and banking applications, but also in the identity of the user and in information about the SIM and the Phone model. It is the app whose developers themselves have introduced Xavier into the code of their applications, thinking that it was a legitimate service to provide ads with which to monetize their software.
This dangerous malware, Xavier was actually born in September 2016 as a variant of the malvertising AdDown and now a Trend Micro report indicates that a huge variety of apps could have been infected with Xavier’s code. In addition, according to Trend Micro, Xavier would be able to install APKs without showing any notification on the device equipped with older versions of Android.
For now, the only way to get rid of Xavier is to reestablish our phone or tablet to its factory state. Along with this, the best advice that can be given is to be suspicious of the unknown apps that we have been able to install in our mobiles, further you can also proceed to check the comments of users in the Play Store in the case of doubt.
So, what do you think about this? Simply share your views and thoughts in the comment section below.
