ESET has discovered over 30 scareware applications available for download from the Google Play store. The malicious applications, which pretended to be cheats for the popular Minecraft game, have been installed by more than 600.000 Android users.
It’s not easy to slip a malicious application into Google’s official Play Store these days. Google’s automated application scanner, Bouncer, helps in reducing the number of malware on the official app store. Yet, some baddies do occasionally get by, as demonstrated by our recent discovery of over 30 scareware applications that have been uploaded to the Play store in the course of the last 9 months
Malicious Minecraft Cheating Apps in Google Play Installed at Least 660,000 Times
33 rogue apps found, installed up to 2.8 million times
Apps available in Google Play pretending to offer cheating tips for the popular Minecraft game tricked users into activating premium-rate SMS subscriptions.
During the past nine months, Lukas Stefanko from ESET says that they have uncovered no less than 33 such apps. Combined, they have been installed between 660,000 and 2.8 million times.
Users fooled to subscribe to premium service
After installing the rogue apps, users would not have access to any information helping them cut corners in the game. Instead, they would be presented with banners and advertisements saying that their Android device was infested with malware, providing a link to an alleged solution.
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