Under the App Store and Google Play security level revealed the fact that users can not be protected from explosion and sophisticated malware

ByHåkan Dahlström

McAfee, who creates and sells computer security related software and hardware, has released quarterly "McAfee Labs Threats Report"Malware targeting mobile apps is gradually beginning to use clever techniques and at current security levels such as Google Play and App Store that deliver smartphone and smartphone applications, smartphone users I suggest that you can not protect it entirely.

【PDF】 McAfee Labs Threats Report
http://www.mcafee.com/us/resources/reports/rp-quarterly-threat-q1-2014.pdf

Malware worms that way into more apps: study - Yahoo News
http://news.yahoo.com/malware-worms-way-more-apps-study-041743022.html


A survey conducted by McAfee in 2013, The number of malware targeting mobile terminals has been rapidly increasing, and as of the fourth quarter of 2013 the number has exceeded 3.5 million.


A recent trend of cyber criminals using malware and the like is to create a clone application similar in appearance to popular apps and to devise devises to make it easier for users to install applications. If even an application is installed, it is easy for malware to extract personal information in smartphones. When searching to install a specific application on Google Play, the App Store, etc., it seems that multiple similar applications are displayed and it is not clear what application is the real application because this information Evidence that the number of applications trying to steal is increasing.

A typical example using this clone application can be found by reading the following article.

The vulnerability of the App Store which becomes obvious from the existence of imitation application that seems to install unknowingly - GIGAZINE


According to McAfee Labs who is preparing the report,Copy games of Flappy Bird that appeared one after another though it was deleted from Google Play and the App StoreWhen examining 300 of them, 80% of them found malware included. Furthermore, "Some applications will make a phone call, send mail, record, or receive SMS messages without user's permission in order to obtain the user's personal information and location information In the case of the worst application, malware got root access to get all the control of the mobile terminal, "it says in the survey report.

In addition, it seems that some fictitious apps have found a security flaw, and hackers can use this to launch malicious attacks on smartphones. actually,Vulnerability in encryption system of "WhatsApp" which is a popular messaging applicationThere seemed to be a cyber attack using the user, which pointed out that the user had stolen conversations and images on the application from the smartphone. Although WhatsApp's vulnerability has already been fixed, McAfee Labs says, "It is easy to imagine that cyber criminals will be looking for similar flaws to other popular apps Can be written "is described.

ByÁlvaro Ibáñez

According to the survey report, "Malware can also steal money from digital wallet" is also said. Some malware discovered by McAfee Labs had disguised as "Adobe Flash Player" update or other useful legitimate application and sent digital wallet money to cybercriminals' servers.

"Malware aiming at mobile terminals has become increasingly using legitimate applications and servers in recent years, and in addition it is becoming increasingly important to avoid platform criteria and to deceive the security app's monitoring eyes Therefore, it is almost impossible to protect users from these malware on platform only, so we believe that application developers need to protect their apps and services from unauthorized use or malicious use "McAfee Labs also refers to the future of mobile terminal security in the survey report.

In addition, Mr. Vincent Weafer of McAfee commented, "Users tend to trust things that they heard on the Internet," and commented that malware developers will use these characteristics It is pointed out that it has become a recent trend.