malware

Some Google Play Store apps with more than a million downloads have turned out to house malware. It's a reminder that however good Google's security vetting process is, it's not perfectly reliable. Two security companies, ThreatLabZ and Evina, say ... they found a total of 60 apps that are or have been in the Play Store and house one of four "families" of malware. One type appears to be new and has been dubbed Autolycos by researcher Maxime Ingrao. Promoted via Facebook and Instagram ads, the apps use a common technique. They are listed as carrying out a specific feature, which they ... (view more)

A new variant of Android malware quite literally hides its activities. 'Octo' darkens the screen so that users can't see it stealing data. Researchers at Threat Fabric say the malware takes advantage of a built-in Android feature called ... "STREAM_SCREEN". It's not quite a live feed, but remotely transmits around one screenshot a second. (Source: threatfabric.com ) The scammers then misuse an accessibility feature in Android to remotely control the device. The stream screening lets them see what they are doing, despite not having physical access. Black Screen Disguise The sneakiest ... (view more)

Scammers who don't want to write their own malware can now pay just $20 to start a campaign of attacks. They can then customize their "bait" with Windows installations and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) among the ways to target users. The malware is ... available on dark web sites. These are sites that are part of the world wide web, but set up in a way that means they aren't indexed by search engines. That makes them suitable for people who don't want their activities easily traced. A piece of malware called BitRAT costs just $20 for lifetime access. The name derives from "remote ... (view more)

Microsoft is trying a new tool designed to block suspicious applications without frustrating users. Windows can decide itself whether running Smart App Control causes more trouble than its worth. The feature is being tested among users on the ... Windows 11 Dev Channel, meaning people who want the earliest possible access to potential new features, knowing there's a higher risk of bugs and problems. Smart App Control brings together several security tools already present in Windows Defender and turns them into an all-or-nothing measure. When Smart App Control blocks an application, it cannot run ... (view more)

Google has cracked down on a key method that scammers used to distribute Android malware through the Play app store. But like a game of whack-a-mole, the scammers are adjusting their tactics for greater success. The Google change is to the way it ... handles accessibility tools on Android devices. These include screen-readers, voice input systems and other modifications for users to interact with the device. Such tools often need access to key components such as the camera, microphone or speakers, access that can be abused by malware. Google relaxes the security and permissions system on such ... (view more)

Scammers have developed a new tactic to spread malware. It's a piece of evil genius with the emphasis strictly on the evil. The scam involves a piece of malware that targets Android phones. It's dubbed FluBot, though that appears to be more a ... reference to the way it's designed to quickly spread rather than having any connection to human illnesses. FluBot first appeared earlier this year in a fairly conventional form. It starts with unsolicited text messages claiming to be from a courier company that was unable to make a delivery. The culprits appear to have been taking advantage of people ... (view more)

Mozilla has found a way to make it easier to set Firefox as a default browser in Windows. The move may raise eyebrows at Microsoft, as it involved getting past measures designed to combat malware. By default, Windows doesn't let users set an ... application as the default for a particular task (web browsing or otherwise) within the application itself. That's in principle a sensible idea as it reduces the risk of malware setting itself as a default app or tricking a user into doing so. Once established as a default app, the malware would have a big advantage as it would be opened more often, ... (view more)

A security company has warned that scammers are using bogus copies of Windows 11 to distribute malware. Kaspersky reminds users that Microsoft's Windows Insider test program is the only place to get the real deal. While the average user can safely ... wait until the system's official release, tech enthusiasts may be eager to get their hands on Windows 11. That interest may well rise in the coming days with the first release of a beta edition that, in theory at least, is complete and much less likely to crash than the currently available "dev" edition. Kaspersky notes that several rogue sites are ... (view more)

Apple says it has dealt with the risk from a newly-discovered piece of malware affecting macOS. It's a reminder that macOS isn't completely immune from malware - which may have been the point of the attack. Security company Red Canary discovered the ... malware and dubbed it Silver Sparrow. It says data from Malwarebytes showed it was present on 29,139 computers. (Source: redcanary.com ) It appeared to target computers which have the M1 chip. That's an Apple produced processor designed specifically for Macs. It's combines multiple functions on a single chip, the idea being to increase efficiency ... (view more)

If you use Microsoft Teams, watch out for bogus advertisements offering an "update". It's a scam designed to install malware that tries to steal personal data. The group chat and video conferencing tool has understandably become more popular this ... year with the increase in remote desktop connections to workplaces. That's attracted the attention of scammers who have put together a creative strategy to steal data. It's important to note that the attack doesn't aim to exploit any vulnerability in Teams itself. Instead, it's simply aimed at people using it, particularly those who have only started ... (view more)