Posted on 06/23/2016 7:54:15 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
Blasphemy! Godless malware preys on nearly 90 percent of Android devices
Godless, an emerging mobile malware threat capable of rooting Android phones, has started to adopt the traits of an exploit kit, in that it searches for multiple vulnerabilities through which it can automatically infect a victim. Once it successfully executes, the malware gains root access to the device, granting it full control.
Christopher Budd, global threats communications manager at Trend Micro, told SCMagazine.com in an interview that Godless is ostensibly an encyclopedia of known, good attacks against various vulnerabilities It's loading up on attacks and using whatever will work, similar to what we see with exploit kits on the PC side. And it's consistent with an overall macro trend over the years, where [threats] have migrated from desktop side over to the mobile side.
In a blog post yesterday, Trend Micro warned that the abuse of numerous exploits gives the sacrilegious-sounding malware a broader target range, making it effective against any Android device running on version 5.1 (Lollipop) or earlier. That's nearly 90 percent of Android devices in use today, which Budd said is on the high end in terms of infection coverage, compared to other Android threats.
The people behind it are taking a page out of the book of exploit kit writers in that they are focused on building a sustainable attack framework that you can continue to evolve, Budd continued. Before exploit kits, people would target one or two specific vulnerabilities with their malware and they would have to code that up. But with exploit kits you don' t have to figure out how to attack each vulnerability. You just buy the exploit kit and because you have people maintaining those exploit kits as professional products, they just keep adding to it.
(Excerpt) Read more at scmagazine.com ...
It seems that there is a market place somewhere on Internet, probably in a deep web. I wonder how much they charge. Would it vary according to what option a customer wants? Must be a whole new shopping experience.:-)
Android and Windows both are mess. Their stores are nothing but s##tty crapware.
Ping for your lists. Godless Malware runs on 90% of Android Devices.
Just wipe it clean with a cloth.
Freedom can be messy. No problems on my Android.
My smartphone has a wire that plugs into a little box on the mopboard of my family room.....do I have to worry????
Windows still has a phone? Who knew?
However, this kind of things tend to catch up with people if left unattended. The computer hacking is a lucrative industry which is very competitive. Their legion is growing, and so many new arrivals may decide they will go after lower priority targets with small return, but if they target enough number of them, they can make decent money.
... But many of us here want to know what happens if we’re “logged in”?
So will running Avast on an Android tablet help?
I suppose you need some protection but I don't know what is best for a mobile device. Maybe somebody else can chime in and enlighten us.
After a couple of years of being cellphone-free, my friend convinced me to get one so she could contact me anytime.
I acceded to her wishes, and got a windows phone, as the best deal was for that option. I never got one single spam post or weird-ass text, just what I or my contacts sent each other.
That contract was running out, and my phone company told me it was time for a new phone. I resisted, but keeping the phone would have prevented me from getting double the talk minutes, tests and data. Oh, and the first 3 months with the new phone would be at half price.
I caved, and got a new Android phone. I now get at least one spam text per week, usually from some “I’m hot for you” site. Then there are the texts that come from an unknown number, consist only of numbers, and demand I reply ASAP!!
Windows was a pretty good OS for my phone.
Android blows dead goats! Android security is worse!
The problem with Android is apps are updated constantly, but the base operating system on phones and tablets is not ever updated on most devices. Security holes are ignored by manufacturers and never patched on lower end devices.
A series of craps with dominating market share. One dies and another springs up in no time. Their large market share make it difficult for customers to avoid them.
When I was developing/teaching secure communications courses for some of the acronym agencies, we called that "undocumented features"....
Don’t have Avast on my phone, but do have it on my tablet. Doesn’t seem to affect the battery too much.
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