Another Android oops....

[Markverhyden]

Clearing out my mailboxes and saw this about a wide spread attack in the Android ecosystem. Guessing it's a nation state but hard to say. I could see China doing this to increase their surveillance of their citizens. But then it could be one of the 5 eyes since those are probably cheap phones sold in 3rd world countries.

The phones ship with the back door. Then at some point it contacts the C&C to grab payload.

https://thehackernews.com/2018/03/android-botnet-malware.html

 

[GTP]

This is why it's important to run Antimalware software on mobile devices.
Although easy enough to remove (as they suggest in the article) probably only 1 in 1000 people would actually know how to accomplish it.
In all probability there are many more and possibly larger botnets out there that are running without end users even being aware of them.
I have clients with Android phones that occasionally ask "what is this on my phone?"
usually some little junk app they've downloaded and forgotten, but sometimes they are malicious.
Many many people just choose to ignore things they find on their device for fear of removing something important or stopping/blocking access to fakebook, twitter et al.
One of the biggest problems I see is that after downloading apps people just click next, next, next when the app asks for permissions. They don't bother to view what permissions they are actually granting.

 

[Diggs]

So who is using what for Android security? I run Lookout but that is about it.

 

[timeshifter]

This is why it's important to run Antimalware software on Android devices.

FTFY

 

[Archon Prime]

I have Emsisoft on my S8+

 

[GTP]

So who is using what for Android security? I run Lookout but that is about it.

Lookout is "top notch" mobile security and well worth the few dollars they ask each year.
But as I'm an Emsisoft reseller, I sell EMS.
Emsisoft Mobile Security. (It's Bitdefender with a different hat on) installed on all my clients devices.
You would be amazed what it finds! (and blocks!)
Provides a good little yearly revenue stream as well.