New malware takes advantage of weaknesses of Android equipment

The cybersecurity company Check Point discovered a malware that takes advantage of vulnerabilities in the Android operating system and replaces applications with malicious code without users being aware and has infected around 25 million mobile phones.

The malware, known as Agent Smith, simulates being a Google application and through vulnerabilities of Android mobile phones replaces applications already installed by versions with a built-in malicious code to access the devices, as explained by Check Point in a statement.

Agent Smith uses its extensive access to device resources to display fraudulent advertisements for profit, but it could also be used for much more intrusive and damaging purposes, such as theft of bank credentials and clandestine wiretapping.

This virus affected mainly Hindi, Arabic, Russian and Indonesian speaking users and the main victims are in India, although other Asian countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh have also been affected.

Countries like the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States have also registered a number of users affected by this malware and Check Point has been working with Google trying to solve the problem. According to the cybersecurity company, “at this moment there is no infected application in Play Store.”

K. Tovar

Source: EuropaPress