GhostCtrl Android Malware Hijacks Audio, Roots Devices
A recently discovered piece of Android malware called GhostCtrl apparently evolved from the well-known OmniRAT tool for desktop platforms and has the ability to steal or delete a wide variety of user and device data. GhostCtrl has an interesting pedigree and history. The backdoor is connected to a data-stealing worm known as Retadup that was detected […]
New Data Shows Attackers Focusing More Attention on iOS
A new report released this morning by Skycure shows that attackers are beginning to focus more and more of their attention on iOS, even as attacks on Android are leveling out . This would be the first time in iOS’s 10 year history that attacks on that platform have outpaced that of its main competitor, Google’s Android. The image […]
Android Ransomware Threatens to Leak Victim Data
The attacker community is continuing to expand the variety of ransomware strains it creates, including a recent variant that doesn’t encrypt victims’ files but instead threatens to send personal data and photos to their contacts. Researchers at McAfee discovered this ransomware variant buried within a couple of apps in the Google Play app store recently. […]
Android Trojan That Can Inject Code, Root Devices, Removed From Play Store
Researchers have discovered a new Android trojan in the Google Play app store that has the ability to root devices and can inject malicious code into system runtime libraries. The Dvmap trojan is thought to be the first such piece of malware that’s capable of injecting code into system libraries at runtime, and researchers at […]
On the Wire Podcast: Yanick Fratantonio and Simon Chung
A team of researchers from the University of California at Santa Barbara and Georgia Tech this week published detailed research on a set of weaknesses and vulnerabilities in Android that can allow an attacker to use a malicious app to completely control the UI of a device. The Cloak & Dagger attacks, as they’re called, […]
Google Play Protect Adds App Scanning to Android
Google is introducing a new system that scans all of the apps on Android devices continuously, looking for unwanted behavior, malware, and other problems. The new Play Protect framework is Google’s latest attempt to shore up the security of the Android ecosystem. Any apps that are in the Play store already are subject to a […]
Google to Streamline Android Update Process
For a decade, Android users have had to rely on a byzantine update process involving Google, device manufacturers, and carriers in order to get security patches and new versions of the operating system. Google is now trying to streamline this process and get updates into users’ hands more quickly through a plan called Project Treble. […]
Google Working on Fix for Android Permission Weakness
Google is planning to fix a weakness in some versions of Android that enables malicious apps to take advantage of a special permission in the operating system to install ransomware, show malicious ads, or tae other unwanted actions. The permission was introduced in Android 6.0 and it can allow an app to be displayed on […]
Half of Android Devices Didn’t Get Security Patches in 2016
Google has made several changes to the Android security ecosystem recently, including providing monthly updates and working with manufacturers to get those patches in the hands of users more quickly. But despite those efforts, about 50 percent of Android devices didn’t install a single security update in 2016. One of the issues with Android security […]