The Joker malware family is very insidious: it regularly changes trace signators and execution methods, making it difficult for anti-malware apps to detect.
Their goal is to steal SMS messages, contact lists and device information and sign the victim up for premium Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) services. Researchers from ThreatLabz have now discovered Joker malware in over 50 apps in the Google Playstore.
Researchers notified the Google Android Security team about these newly identified threats, and the apps were immediately removed from the Google Playstore. However, they have already been downloaded over 300,000 times and are therefore likely to cause some damage.
The apps fall into very popular categories: communication, health, personalization, photography and tools, and are therefore often used, for example to have new emojis or a special keyboard on the smartphone.
These are the apps
We advise you to check your smartphone to see whether you have these apps installed. If yes: uninstall immediately!
| Simple Note Scanner – com.wuwan.pdfscan | |
| Universal PDF Scanner – com.unpdf.scan.read.docscanuniver | |
| Private Messenger – com.recollect.linkus | |
| Premium SMS – com.premium.put.trustsms | |
| Smart Messages – com.toukyoursms.timemessages | |
| Text Emoji SMS – messenger.itext.emoji.mesenger | |
| Blood Pressure Checker – com.bloodpressurechecker.tangjiang | |
| Funny Keyboard – com.soundly.galaxykeyboard | |
| Memory Silent Camera – com.silentmenory.timcamera | |
| Custom Themed Keyboard – com.custom.keyboardthemes.galaxiy | |
| Light Messages – com.lilysmspro.lighting | |
| Themes Photo Keyboard – com.themes.bgphotokeyboard | |
| Send SMS – exazth.message.send.text.sms | |
| Themes Chat Messenger – com.relish.messengers | |
| Instant Messenger – com.sbdlsms.crazymessager.mmsrec | |
| Cool Keyboard – com.colate.gthemekeyboard | |
| Fonts Emoji Keyboard – com.zemoji.fontskeyboard | |
| Mini PDF Scanner – com.mnscan.minipdf | |
| Smart SMS Messages – com.sms.mms.message.ffei.free | |
| Creative Emoji Keyboard – com.whiteemojis.creativekeyboard.ledsloard | |
| Fancy SMS – con.sms.fancy | |
| Fonts Emoji Keyboard – com.symbol.fonts.emojikeyboards | |
| Personal Message – com.crown.personalmessage | |
| Funny Emoji Message – com.funie.messagremo | |
| Magic Photo Editor – com.amagiczy.photo.editor | |
| Professional Messages – com.adore.attached.message | |
| All Photo Translator – myphotocom.allfasttranslate.transationtranslator | |
| Chat SMS – com.maskteslary.messages | |
| Smile Emoji – com.balapp.smilewall.emoji | |
| Wow Translator – com.imgtop.camtranslator | |
| All Language Translate – com.exclusivez.alltranslate | |
| Cool Messages – com.learningz.app.cool.messages | |
| Blood Pressure Diary – bloodhold.nypressure.mainheart.ratemy.mo.depulse.app.tracker.diary | |
| Chat Text SMS – com.echatsms.messageos | |
| Hi Text SMS – ismos.mmsyes.message.texthitext.bobpsms | |
| Emoji Theme Keyboard – com.gobacktheme.lovelyemojikeyboard | |
| iMessager – start.me.messager | |
| Text SMS – com.ptx.textsms | |
| Camera Translator – com.haixgoback.outsidetext.languagecameratransla | |
| Come Messages – com.itextsms.messagecoming | |
| Painting Photo Editor – com.painting.pointeditor.photo | |
| Rich Theme Message – com.getmanytimes.richsmsthememessenge | |
| Quick Talk Message – mesages.qtsms.messenger | |
| Advanced SMS – com.fromamsms.atadvancedmmsopp | |
| Professional Messenger – com.akl.smspro.messenger | |
| Classic Game Messenger – com.classcolor.formessenger.sic | |
| Style Message – com.istyle.messagesty | |
| Private Game Messages – com.message.game.india | |
| Timestamp Camera – allready.taken.photobeauty.camera.timestamp | |
| Social Message – com.colorsocial.message |
Tools and communication apps in particular are particularly often contaminated with malware; ThreadLabz was even able to observe new uploads of infected apps every day.
How you can protect yourself from infected apps
As already written above: This malware often changes the signature and attack methods, so that installed anti-malware software often “lags behind”. However, simple precautionary measures can help keep your smartphone clean:
- Don't install unnecessary apps: A fancy-looking keyboard won't make you type faster, and a special emoji won't make you the star of a chat
- Only install apps from providers you know and trust
- Pay attention to the age of the app and the reviews: Very new to the Google Playstore and/or only very few reviews? Then stay away!
- Only install apps that are recommended by trustworthy media, such as specialist magazines: They generally check very carefully beforehand whether an app is safe
- Pay attention to the access rights of the app: For example, a keyboard app does not need access to the camera and microphone
Children and young people in particular like to install apps that, for example, change standard icons or contain new emojis in order to personalize their smartphone. There's nothing wrong with that, but please make sure that you don't simply install untrustworthy apps on your children's smartphones - because even if they should be safe, it often happens that they just slow down the smartphone over time .
Article image: pixabay
Source: Zscaler ThreatLabz
Also interesting:
According to the survey, smileys are rarely clear - interpretations vary widely around the world.
– Emojis often cause confusion
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