If you are an Android user, you might should seriously consider going through the list of apps downloaded on your phone after reading this post.
Google has kicked nine Android apps with over 5.8 million downloads out of the Google Play Store after security researchers uncovered the apps malicious activities that involve a sneaky means of stealing users' Facebook login credentials.
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According to Dr. Web researchers, the apps provides fully functioning service for photo editing and framing, exercise and training, horoscopes, and removal of junk files from Android phones. Since these apps are free, they serve ads to the users. However, the apps offer users an option to disable in-app ads by logging into their Facebook accounts.
Those who decided to go with this offer saw a genuine Facebook login form that had fields to enter usernames and passwords. Unknown to them, these apps inject a script into the login page to steal user login credentials.
"These trojans used a special mechanism to trick their victims," Dr. Web wrote. "After receiving the necessary settings from one of the C&C servers upon launch, they loaded the legitimate Facebook web page https://www.facebook.com/login.php into WebView. Next, they loaded JavaScript received from the C&C server into the same WebView. This script was directly used to hijack the entered login credentials."
The victims' login credentials are then transferred to the attacker's C&C server who then decides whatever he wants to use them for, or who he wants to them with.
But then, it doesn't end there. The security researchers add that after the victim logs into their account, the trojans will also steal cookies from the current authorization and then forward them to the bad actors behind it.
The security researchers notified Google of their findings and the apps have all been kicked out of the Google Play Store. Still, these apps pose a threat since the APK will still remain on the world wide web and also on other APK stores.
Here is the list of the trojans:
- PIP Photo by developers Lillians - 5,000,000+ downloads
- Processing Photo by developer chikumburahamilton - 500,000 + download
- Rubbish Cleaner by developer SNT.rbcl - 100,000+ downloads
- Horoscope Daily by developer HscopeDaily momo - 100,000+ downloads
- Inwell Fitness by developer Reuben Germaine - 100,000+ downloads
- App Lock Keep by developer Sheralaw Rence - 50,000+ downloads
- Lockit Master by developer Enali mchicolo - 5000+ downloads
- Horoscope Pi by developer Talleyr Shauna - 1000+ downloads
- App Lock manager by developer implummet col - 10+ downloads