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Malware affects all platforms, be they smartphones, tablets or desktops. According to a report from a security company Checkpoint, the malicious software "Agent Smith" has infected more than 25 million Android devices with the injection of malicious ads.
Checkpoint believes that the malicious program "Agent Smith" is from China via an Internet company that helps Chinese developers of Android applications to locate and publish their applications in foreign markets. It is distributed via a third-party application store called 9Apps, which is very popular in Asian markets.
The malware has earned its name because it mimics the famous character of Matrix because it hacks apps and forces them to run more ads, then siphons ad revenue by taking credit from ads already shown.
Agent Smith has primarily infected devices in India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. However, about 303,000 devices were infected in the United States and 137,000 in the United Kingdom. Some of the apps that ended up being infected include WhatsApp, Opera, the MX video player, Flipkart and SwiftKey.
Checkpoint also indicates that the malware operator seems to have tried to expand to the Google Play Store. He was able to display 11 apps on the Play Store, all with code related to a simpler version or an earlier version of Agent Smith malware. The report indicates that the malware remained idle or idle, with Google deleting all applications considered "infected" or "at risk".
The main reason why this application is widespread is due to a vulnerability that was corrected several years ago in Android, but was based on the fact that developers were updating their applications to add protection. It is clear that many have not done so according to these reports. It recalls the importance of Android application updates and security patches.
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