Android doesn’t really have a stellar reputation when it comes to security, it’s not unusual for gaping vulnerabilities to be discovered in a platform that over a billion people users across the globe, but this doesn’t seem to be stopping people from moving to Android in large numbers. Security researchers have now discovered unremovable Android malware that’s infecting thousands of applications, but fortunately there’s an easy way to make sure that your device never catches it.
Lookout Security calls it “trojanized adware,” it involves applications that are repackaged with malware inside and then distributed through third-party app stores. Popular apps such as Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram and many more have been repackaged this way.
Once a user installs a repackaged app from a third party app store the app auto roots and is then able to access the device’s entire system. Since they install themselves as system applications it’s nearly impossible for an average user to remove them. The apps then periodically serve users advertisements which is how the attackers make most of their money.
In order to get rid of this an average user will most likely replace their device, which obviously costs them money. It’s believed that some 20,000 apps repackaged with trojanized adware are floating online but there’s an easy way to protect yourself against all of this.
The security firm says that there’s no indication yet that any repackaged app made it to the Google Play Store, Google does have a strict checking mechanism in place to protect against such apps, so if you want to make sure your device doesn’t catch this malware simply stick to downloading applications from the Google Play Store.
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