Android users urged to follow four new rules amid red alert
Android users have once again been placed on red alert as the popular technology provider has been hit by cyber criminals. This new bug is said to become infuriating if advice isn't followed, as users' phones will be left full of highly annoying adverts that are impossible to get rid of.
According to the team at Malwarebytes, the 'Kaleidoscope' bug has been hidden within over 130 Android apps that can be accessed around the world. Once these apps are downloaded, the user's phone will then be overloaded with unskippable apps.
If this wasn't bad enough, the new threat is even more worrying than previous attacks due to the way that criminals are targeting the Android operating system, reports the Express. Therefore, it is important that Android heed the advice given by experts.
Hackers are now having to try out new methods to fool people into falling into their trap as Google is starting to get better at removing dodgy apps from its Play Store.
According to Malwarebytes, the latest scam from crooks involves creating lookalike applications that are dished out via third-party app stores.
Despite looking like the original app - with many even sharing the same app ID - these scam apps actually include the Kaleidoscope bug, which makes the 'innocent' looking app the 'evil twin'.
This threat allows hackers to display sponsored messages without the advertisers realising that something is wrong.
As a result, this scam is detrimental to both companies and users, as firms are paying for certain adverts to be shown while Android users are instead being drowned in irritating messages.
Malwarebytes explained: "Advertisers believe they are paying for ads shown in the 'legitimate' app, while users who download versions from third-party app stores are bombarded with the same ads—but they can't skip them. Because both apps use the same app ID, advertisers never know the difference."
It is easy to see why these irritating apps are finally being caught out as it is thought that they have been installed millions of times already.
Thankfully, in a move to stop other Android users from becoming a victim of the scam, Malwarebytes have given users four steps to follow to keep their smartphones safe from 'evil twin' apps.
To keep your devices free from ad fraud related malware:
• Get your apps from the Google Play store whenever you can.
• Be careful about the permissions you allow a new app. Does it really need those permissions for what it's supposed to do? In this case the 'Display over other apps' should raise a red flag.
• Dubious ad sites often request permission to display notifications. Allowing this will increase the number of ads as they push them to the device's notification bar.
• Use up-to-date and active security software on your Android.
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