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"Agent Smith" is the name of a new malware already found on millions of Android smartphones. She is particularly treacherous – but many users do not even notice that their cell phone has become a zombie.
Source: GIGA.
New malware spreads quickly on Android smartphones
According to Check Point security researchers, a new malware is currently in circulation, which is already on 25 million Android smartphones. The good news: apparently, the malware for mobile does not target the data of the user, but is content with "only" publish. What is treacherous is that it lets go to well known applications such as WhatsApp or Opera Mini and that many users do not even notice that their cell phone is infected.
"The agent Smith" would have spread mainly in India and Pakistan, reports The Verge. Nevertheless, the malware has been discovered in the United States and the United Kingdom. In Germany, they should not have appeared, and it is probably only a matter of time. The reason for the spread in India and Pakistan is probably due to the popular App Store "9Apps", on which the malware was used on 15 million phones of Indian and Pakistani users. In the United States, 300,000 smartphones are already affected by "Agent Smith".
The malware would also have tried to access the official Google Play Store. According to Check Point, this was initially a success. Eleven applications claiming to be simpler versions of popular applications have been infected successfully. According to Google, apps have been removed and it's hard to know how long they have been available for download. The number of users who have captured the malware via the Play Store has not yet been communicated. Android itself would have been corrected several years ago against the chasm exploited.
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Top 10: The most popular Android apps currently in Germany.
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"Agent Smith": a path leads to China
The exact origin of the malware has not been found yet. However, it is strongly suspected that a Chinese company is behind the attack. Supposedly, it is a company that "helps" Chinese application developers to publish their programs internationally. If the developers are trapped, the malware is first introduced into the applications without it being noticed. Subsequently, advertisements are aggressively placed in applications. However, revenue from advertising revenue will not benefit developers but the company in question.
If GIGA readers notice such behavior on their mobile phone, they may also have been affected by "Agent Smith". In this case, newly installed applications should be removed. Resetting the factory settings can also help in case of emergency. As always, third-party apps are inherently more dangerous than those available on the Google Play Store. Nevertheless, Google does not provide 100% protection with its "Play Protect" on the Play Store.
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