ZDNet: Google removes 85 adware apps that were installed by millions of users. “Google has removed 85 Android apps from the official Play Store that security researchers from Trend Micro deemed to contain a common strain of adware. The 85 apps had been downloaded over nine million times, and one app, in particular, named ‘Easy Universal TV Remote,’ was downloaded over five million times, according to researchers.”
Android
Full frontal vulnerability: Photos can still trick, unlock Android mobes via facial recognition (The Register)
The Register: Full frontal vulnerability: Photos can still trick, unlock Android mobes via facial recognition. “Smartphones have boasted facial recognition for some time, but tests in the Netherlands suggest it still falls short of properly securing many devices. The tests, conducted by the country’s Consumers Association, identified 42 smartphones out of 110 tested could be unlocked with only a high-quality photograph of the phone’s owner.”
ZDNet: Two Android apps used in combat by US troops contained severe vulnerabilities
ZDNet: Two Android apps used in combat by US troops contained severe vulnerabilities. “US military troops used two Android apps that contained severe vulnerabilities in live combat scenarios, a Navy Inspector General report revealed today. The two apps are named KILSWITCH (Kinetic Integrated Low-Cost Software Integrated Tactical Combat Handheld) and APASS (Android Precision Assault Strike Suite).”
Ars Technica: 22 apps with 2 million+ Google Play downloads had a malicious backdoor
Ars Technica: 22 apps with 2 million+ Google Play downloads had a malicious backdoor. “Almost two dozen apps with more than 2 million downloads have been removed from the Google Play market after researchers found they contained a device-draining backdoor that allowed them to surreptitiously download files from an attacker-controlled server.”
Google Blog: Bringing Google Fi to more people on Android and iOS
Google Blog: Bringing Google Fi to more people on Android and iOS. “Starting today, Project Fi is available on more phones: our plan now works with the majority of Android devices and iPhones. And since we’re officially expanding our device support, we’re making our name more official, too: we’re now Google Fi.”
The Next Web: 500,000 Android users downloaded malware made by one developer
The Next Web: 500,000 Android users downloaded malware made by one developer. “Android malware has been on the rise over the past couple of years, we’ve just seen one of the worst attacks of this kind. ESET security researcher Lukas Stefanko found 13 apps with malware on the Play store, and said that more than 560,000 people downloaded these apps before Google took them down. Oh, and all these apps came from a lone developer named Luiz Pinto.”
ZDNet: Two botnets are fighting over control of thousands of unsecured Android devices
ZDNet: Two botnets are fighting over control of thousands of unsecured Android devices. “Two botnet gangs are fighting to take control over as many unsecured Android devices as they can to use their resources and mine cryptocurrency behind owners’ backs. The turf war between these two botnets –one named Fbot and the other named Trinity– has been going on for at least a month if we’re to combine the various clues from reports published by different cyber-security firms.”
