Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Twitch
    Game on Aus
    • News
      What’s coming to PlayStation Plus in June 2023?

      What’s coming to PlayStation Plus in June 2023?

      June 1, 2023

      IT’S JUNE! — and that means two things: it is officially the rainy season & it’s time for the next…

      ANZPL Split 1 2023 Trophy

      ANZPL Split 1 2023 LAN Finals: Champions Crowned

      May 30, 2023

      This is it. The ANZPL Split 1 2023 LAN Finals. Who would win the Lower Final and make it to the Grand Final to face the Skorpions?

      Company of Heroes 3 Xbox console give-away

      Company of Heroes 3 Xbox console give-away

      May 30, 2023

      TODAY’S release of the Company of Heroes 3 Console Edition released on the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S, FiveStarGames…

      Assassin’s Creed: Mirage details emerge

      Assassin’s Creed: Mirage details emerge

      May 25, 2023

      AT the PlayStation Showcase this morning there was a few moments of excitement for me, one of them being the…

      PlayStation ’23 Showcase report

      PlayStation ’23 Showcase report

      May 25, 2023

      PlayStation went ahead with its PlayStation Showcase earlier this morning and kicked off the old E3-style season presentation of a…

      View All
    • Reviews
      Crucial T700 – The SSD powerhouse!

      Crucial T700 – The SSD powerhouse!

      September 6, 2023

      The Crucial T700 sets a new standard in performance when it comes to Consumer Grade SSDs, pushing speeds faster than…

      Hyper Karting and Hyper VR street signage

      Hyper Karting & Reality Hyper Amazing!

      June 7, 2023

      I recently visited Hyper Karting, a go-kart and VR centre in Sydney. As well as the go-karts, I was very keen to experience Hyper Reality.

      Company of Heroes 3 (Console Edition) – Tactical Brilliance

      Company of Heroes 3 (Console Edition) – Tactical Brilliance

      June 5, 2023

      Company of Heroes 3 marks the highly anticipated return of the critically acclaimed real-time strategy franchise to consoles. Developed by…

      Diablo 4 Review – A Dark and Thrilling Return to Glory

      Diablo 4 Review – A Dark and Thrilling Return to Glory

      May 31, 2023

      Diablo 4 is the long-awaited continuation of the iconic action role-playing game series developed by Blizzard Entertainment. I had the…

      Alienware AW510K Low-Profile RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

      Alienware AW510K Low-Profile RGB Mechanical Gaming Keyboard Review

      May 25, 2023

      When I reviewed the Alienware AW720M Tri-Mode Wireless Gaming Mouse at the start of the year, I came away intrigued…

      View All
    • Podcasts
      Nuts & Bolts Ep 84 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 84: What Is The LCS Doing?

      June 3, 2023

      The World Of Tanks ANZPL LAN Finals have decided the Split 1 champions. Jim takes us through the action! Lots…

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 83 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 83: Let’s Get Down To Business

      May 20, 2023

      There’s lots to cover this week. Join Mercury and Jim as the World Of Thanks ANZPL heads towards their LAN…

      The Weekly Show Ep 279 Hero Card

      The Weekly Show Ep 279: Tech Issues: The Show

      May 19, 2023

      Doomcutie joins Stormie and Jim as they talk through mods, leaks and so much more! Plus our Bloody Good Game Of The Week thanks to Aussie Broadband.

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 82 Hero Card

      Nuts & Bolts Ep 82: We Missed You!

      May 13, 2023

      It’s been a couple of weeks so Jim and Mercury catch up to talk all things Dreamhack Melbourne. Plus Snoop…

      The Weekly Show Ep 278 Hero Card

      The Weekly Show Ep 278: Look Who Just Drops In

      May 12, 2023

      Doomcutie joins Stormie and Jim as they talk through mods, leaks and so much more! Plus our Bloody Good Game Of The Week thanks to Aussie Broadband.

      View All
    • Categories
      • BY PLATFORM
        • Playstation
        • Xbox
        • Nintendo
        • PC
        • Mobile
        • VR
        • Retro
      • BY GENRE
        • Action
        • Action-Adventure
        • Battle Royale
        • Fighting
        • FPS
        • Horror Games
        • RPG
        • Simulation
        • Sports
        • MMORPG
        • MOBA
        • Platformer
        • Strategy
        • Survival
        • Indie
      • GOA ESSENTIALS
        • Esports
        • Conventions
        • Tabletop
        • Hardware
        • Funny
        • Streaming
        • Win
        • Podcast
        • Video
    • More
      • About Us
      • Contact Us
    Game on Aus
    Home » McAfee report highlights rise of hidden malware apps
    McAfee report highlights rise of hidden malware apps
    GAMING NEWS

    McAfee report highlights rise of hidden malware apps

    Royce WilsonBy Royce WilsonMarch 4, 2020
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email

    HACKERS are using fake mobile games and apps as stealth attack vectors to compromise smartphones and tablets.

    This, of course, is not news to anyone in the gaming community, but it is an ever-present threat which has been highlighted again in the McAfee 2020 Mobile Threat Report (available to read here: https://www.mcafee.com/content/dam/consumer/en-us/docs/2020-Mobile-Threat-Report.pdf)

    According to the report, there were more than 35 million malware attacks on mobile devices detected globally last year – many of them involving fake game or social media apps.

    McAfee’s researchers uncovered fake versions of popular games and apps including Call of Duty FaceApp and Spotify attempting to prey on unsuspecting device users – especially younger ones. 

    The report summary said hackers were taking advantage of the popularity of gaming by distributing their malicious apps via links in popular gamer chat apps and cheat videos by creating their own content containing links to fake apps.

    The fake apps have icons which look extremely like those of the real ones, but steal user data, serve unwanted ads and can provide a backdoor into the device for hackers.  

    According to the report, McAfee researchers analysed two HiddenAds variants – one pretending to be Call of Duty and the other a photo tool called FaceApp.

    “Both used file names similar to their genuine counterparts and were distributed, not in Google Play, but as links in YouTube videos and other search results of people looking for free or cracked apps,” the report said.

    “The fake apps used icons that closely mimic the real apps for additional authenticity. Once the app is installed on the phone, the icon is changed to one that mimics Settings.

    “When the user clicks on this, the malicious app displays a fake error message—“Application is unavailable in your country. Click OK to uninstall.” However, clicking OK completes the installation and then hides the fake Settings icon, making it difficult for the user to find and delete the malware.”

    McAfee report highlights rise of hidden malware apps
    An example of how a malicious app can appear on a device screen. It is, to quote Admiral Ackbar, a trap – clicking OK will finish installing the malware.

    McAfee chief scientist Raj Samani said there was a growing trend for malicious apps to remain hidden as they stole resources and data from compromised devices.

     “Now, more than ever, it is critical consumers make themselves aware of modern threats and the steps they can take to defend themselves against them, such as staying on legitimate app stores and reading reviews carefully,” he said.

    Mr Samani said the motivation the people creating fake and hidden apps was exactly what you’d think it was: money.

    “The objective of these hidden apps is relatively straightforward: generate money for the developer,” he said.

    “It is a growing threat, with almost half of all malware on the mobile platform consisting of hidden apps.”

    Just to make things more complicated, some of the detected malware variants used a hijacked phone’s social media accounts to post fake reviews and ratings for other malware apps, muddying the waters for people checking to see if a suspicious app was genuine or not.

    Besides running a decent anti-malware programme on your smart device, the usual online caveats remain in effect to help protect yourself from malware – if a link seems suspicious, don’t click on it, if an offer seems too good to be true it probably is, there really aren’t lots of attractive singles in your area waiting to meet you, there are no members of African royalty who need your help moving money around internationally, and so on.

    One of the most important ways to help avoid malware issues on mobile phones and smart devices is fairly simple, though: only download apps and games from official and trusted sources like the Google Play or Apple App store.

    “While some malicious apps do make it through the screening process, the majority of the attack downloads appear to be coming from social media, fake ads, and other unofficial app sources,” the report said.

    “Before downloading something to your device, do some quick research about the source and developer. Many of these have been flagged by other users.”

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr Email
    Previous ArticleOri and the Will of the Wisps set to strike another chord with gamers
    Next Article Razer announces the Viper Mini

    Related Posts

    What’s coming to PlayStation Plus in June 2023?
    GAMING NEWS June 1, 2023

    What’s coming to PlayStation Plus in June 2023?

    IT’S JUNE! — and that means two things: it is officially the rainy season & it’s time for the next…

    ANZPL Split 1 2023 Trophy
    ESPORTS May 30, 2023

    ANZPL Split 1 2023 LAN Finals: Champions Crowned

    This is it. The ANZPL Split 1 2023 LAN Finals. Who would win the Lower Final and make it to the Grand Final to face the Skorpions?

    Subscribe

    Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

    Ads

    Categories
    • ACTION
    • ACTION-ADVENTURE
    • APPLE
    • BATTLE ROYALE
    • CLOUD GAMING
    • CONVENTIONS
    • DLC
    • ESPORTS
    • Events
    • FEATURE
    • FIGHTING
    • FPS
    • FUNNY
    • GAMING HARDWARE
    • GAMING NEWS
    • GAMING REVIEWS
    • GIFT GUIDE
    • GOA
    • GOA PODCAST
    • HORROR GAMES
    • INDIE GAMING
    • Industry
    • MMORPG
    • MOBA
    • MOBILE
    • NINTENDO
    • Open-World
    • OPINION
    • PC
    • PLATFORMER
    • PLAYSTATION
    • Press Release
    • PREVIEW
    • RACING
    • RETRO
    • RPG
    • SIMULATION
    • SPORTS
    • STRATEGY
    • STREAMING
    • SUBSCRIPTION GAMES SERVICE UPDATES
    • SURVIVAL
    • TABLETOP GAMING
    • TECH
    • VIDEO
    • VR
    • XBOX
    Related Article
    Crucial T700 – The SSD powerhouse!
    GAMING REVIEWS

    Crucial T700 – The SSD powerhouse!

    September 6, 2023Zak BearmanBy Zak Bearman

    The Crucial T700 sets a new standard in performance when it comes to Consumer Grade SSDs, pushing speeds faster than many other NVME PCI-E…

    Crucial Memory and DDR5: Unleashing Epic Experiences!
    GAMING HARDWARE

    Crucial Memory and DDR5: Unleashing Epic Experiences!

    July 13, 2023Zak BearmanBy Zak Bearman

    Our friends at Crucial offered us an opportunity to review some of their Pro series memory! Me being the avid gamer and hardware savant…

    Hyper Karting and Hyper VR street signage
    GAMING REVIEWS

    Hyper Karting & Reality Hyper Amazing!

    June 7, 2023Darren 'Str8JaktJim' MacneallBy Darren 'Str8JaktJim' Macneall

    I recently visited Hyper Karting, a go-kart and VR centre in Sydney. As well as the go-karts, I was very keen to experience Hyper Reality.

    Game on Australia Logo

    Game On Aus is an Australian games publication working across written, video and podcast, and supported by an ever-growing community of content creators and fans!

    Copyright GameOnAus 2023. Privacy Policy. Website by Digital Hitmen

    CONTENT
    • News
    • Gaming Reviews
    • Podcast
    • Tech
    • Indie
    ABOUT GOA
    • About Us
    • Contact

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.