Joker malware has infected 500,000 Huawei phones — what you need to know

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Joker malware has infected 500,000 Huawei phones — what you lot need to know

(Epitome credit: Tom'southward Guide)

Security researchers have constitute that over half a million Huawei smartphones take been infected with the Joker malware.

The Joker malware has been doing the rounds on Google Play for a while, and signs up the infected phone to premium mobile subscriptions. But this is the first time it'due south been spotted on Huawei devices (via BleepingComputer).

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The malware was discovered by researchers from Russian antivirus business firm Doctor Web, hidden inside 10 harmless-looking apps within Huawei'south AppGallery.

Normally, Joker malware spreads through Google Play, simply researchers accept now realized the people behind information technology appear to have expanded their efforts to alternate Android app stores.

The apps themselves function every bit promised, but also exercise a agglomeration of nefarious stuff in the background. In the past, Joker-infected apps take been found to subscribe users to premium SMS services, in part by intercepting and responding to SMS confirmation codes. That ways users would find themselves with a hefty nib at the cease of the calendar month.

What'south more, Joker could too steal contact lists and text messages, in lodge to aid itself spread amongst your friends.

The malware was get-go disclosed later it made its way to Google Play back in 2019. Google has booted a couple dozen apps from Google Play in the time since, just the people behind these scam apps now appear to be taking it further afield.

Doctor Web researchers noted that in this instance, the maximum number of services Joker will subscribe a user to is five. That's a lot, and it was noted that the crooks backside the scenes could increase that number whenever they liked.

The apps in question include a virtual keyboard, messaging apps, sticker collections, a game, and more. Many of the offending apps came from the aforementioned developer, and fortunately Huawei has removed them all from AppGallery now — though not before they were downloaded over half a million times.

Unfortunately, not having a Huawei phone doesn't mean yous're safe. Researchers noted that the same modules downloaded past infected apps in AppGallery were also present in apps on Google Play. A total list of indicators of compromise is bachelor here, if you want to check for yourself.

So sticking to Google's ain app store doesn't guarantee safety; be careful what you download, folks, no matter where yous get those apps from.

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Tom is the Tom's Guide'due south Automotive Editor, which means he can usually be found knee deep in stats the latest and best electric cars, or checking out some sort of driving gadget. It's long fashion from his days as editor of Gizmodo UK, when pretty much everything was on the table. He's usually found trying to squeeze some other giant Lego fix onto the shelf, draining very large cups of java, or complaining that Ikea won't let him purchase the stuff he really needs online.

Source: https://www.tomsguide.com/news/joker-malware-has-infected-500000-huawei-phones-what-you-need-to-know

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