Google misses The Register as legitimate Android apps become malware

Once again, Google Play has been caught taking off its cybersecurity trousers after a once-legal Android screen and audio recorder app was updated to include malicious microphone snooping code.

Tens of thousands of people may have downloaded the software before ESET researchers discovered the hidden malware and alerted Google, which removed the app from its online store.

The application in question, iRecorder Screen Recorder, was first published in 2021. He hadn’t even shown any signs of cheating on Google Play for nearly a year, until an August 2022 update added a secret remote control backdoor.

This backdoor code was based on AhMyth, a piece of ‘not intended for malicious use’ spyware hosted on GitHub previously found in the Play Store app.

AhMyth’s implementation of the updated Android app is called AhRat by ESET. The software reportedly obnoxiously recorded snippets of audio from the infected device’s microphone. AhRat could also be instructed to extract files with “extensions denoting web pages, images, audio, video, document files, and file formats used to compress multiple files,” it said. ESET’s Lucas Stefanko, author of the 2019 report on the last two cases, said: On the Play Store he found AhMyth.

AhRat lacks many of the features of its parent malware, which Stefanko said could be a lightweight variant designed to better hide itself within legitimate applications. is shown. “These features seem to fit the already defined app permission model, which grants access to files on the device and allows audio recording,” Stefanko explained. .

“Once the malicious app was installed, it acted as a standard app without any special additional permission requests that could reveal its malicious intent,” Stefanko added.

ESET said it had not found any other actual locations of AhMyth, and that the app and all other items created by the mysterious developer were removed from the Google Play store after being reported. It is not clear exactly how long this malicious version of the recording app has been available on Google Play, or exactly how many people have been affected. ESET only announced that the software has surpassed 50,000 downloads on Google’s souk.

Stefanko said in his report that the recording app is still available in some alternative unofficial Android app markets, and that the developer has released several other Android tools, but those He pointed out that the tool does not contain malicious code.

“It is possible that the app developer intended to build a user base before compromising Android devices with the update, or that a malicious attacker introduced this change to the app. , there is no evidence for any of these hypotheses,” Stefanko noted.

More like Google Play Infection

We’ve been down this malware-ridden road many times before on Google Play, but malware that slipped through the cracks has already been found on Google Play (or at least its parent code has been found). This time it’s especially bad, given the fact that . As an extension, the AhMyth indicator could be considered included in Google’s scanning system.

Images on your device aren’t great for Google’s security.

In 2017, Google’s on-device anti-malware platform, Play Protect, received the lowest score in our malware detection capabilities test compared to third-party Android malware detection platforms. It’s been a while since then, but in the latest version of the report with Play Protect, Play Protect has moved up a few places. But we’re not quite there yet, so make sure your Android device has multiple layers of protection. Or maybe you just avoid apps from unknown developers.

We reached out to Google asking how they managed to miss a malicious update for nearly a year, but have yet to hear back.

Sources 1/ https://Google.com/ 2/ https://www.theregister.com/2023/05/24/a_legit_android_app_turned/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos