Posted by Chris Iteh
A new virus named FalseGuide has been discovered on Google Play Store and millions of Android users may have accidently downloaded it.
Check Point, the cyber security company, that discovered this FalseGuide malware and alerted Google about it, estimated that almost 2 million users may have been infected by the malware.
It’s believed Falseguide is being used to raise money using adware, a type of software that shows a vast amount of unwanted advertising.
According to the security researchers, the apps were uploaded to the app store as early as November 2016, meaning they hid successfully for five months, accumulating an astounding number of downloads.
Though all the gaming apps, which had been first uploaded to the app store back in November 2016, containing this malware have been removed from the Play Store, the devices which had downloaded them remain infected by the malware.
What is FalseGuide?
The malware have been codenamed Falseguide because it masquerades as gaming app guides. The malware gives creators control of the infected devices without the knowledge of the owner.
According to CheckPoint Security, “FalseGuide creates a silent botnet out of the infected devices. A botnet is a group of devices controlled by hackers. The bots are used for various reasons based on the distributed computing capabilities of all the devices.”
These game guides, which contained FalseGuide malware, had the malware hidden in the coding.
When an app containing the FalseGuide malware is installed, it asks for admin permission. When granted, it goes to work, taking total control over the device, so much so that the user can not delete it. The malware connects to the Firebase Cloud Messaging topic — with the same name as the app — and gives the attacker the ability to download additional malicious modules on the infected device. The attacker can also root the device, conduct a DDoS attack or penetrate private networks.
Why Target Gaming Guide Apps?
Game guide apps are very popular, much as the game itself as these contains several tips, tricks and walkthroughs of games. It's for this reason that several popular games have been targeted, such as, Pokemon GO and Mario Run.
Moreover, guiding apps has features that are few and simple, and doesn’t require a lot of time to build up, which gives malware developers an easy way to reach more people.
How to Stay Safe?
Although app stores have security measures in place to detect apps with malicious intent and block them off from being uploaded, users shouldn’t solely rely on them for protection. They too need to do their part by implementing additional security measures on their mobile device as they would on their PCs.
Here are some things you can do to stay safe.
1. Download an antivirus on your smartphones, such as, Avast, Norton, 360. The security apps are often free to download from app stores, and there can be extra benefits as well.
2. You also should take steps to never download apps outside of Google Play Store, such as third-party app stores, since those carry the highest risk of malware like FalseGuide Malware and other infectious malware.
3. Be selective about the apps that you download. Always check the permission that an app seeks before installing it on your device. Check out the ratings and reviews, as well as, the privacy policy.
4. Do not download game guide apps on your device right now as Google puts additional security measures into place.
5. Update your Android Device with the Latest Version. Google new updates includes bug fixes and patches that can limit the attack from such malwares like FalseGuide and protect your device.
List of the Infected Gaming Guide Apps
Here is the list of infected guiding apps for games that also included several popular games like FIFA, Pokemon GO, LEGO-based games and more.
Guide for FIFA Mobile
Guide for FIFA 17
Guide for Pokemon GO
Guide for Spiderman 2
Guide for Amazing Spiderman 2
Guide for LEGO Marvel Superhero
Guide for LEGO Nexo Knights
Guide for LEGO City
Guide for LEGO City Undercover
Guide for Super Mario
Guide for Mario
Several Guides for The Auto 4
Guide for Auto Vip City
Guide for The Auto 5
Guide for Friends
Several Guides for Cadillacs
Guide for League Soccer
Guide for Dream League Soccer
Several Guides for Rolling Sky
Several Guides for Terraria
Several Guides for World of Tanks
Guide for Drift Zone 2
Guide for Mobile Legends
Guide for Injustice Gods
Guide for Ninja Go Shadow
Guide for Ninja Go Tournament
Guide for Asphalt 8
Guide for Criminal Case
Several Guides for NBA Live Mobile
Several Guides for Hay Day
Guide for Subway Surfers
Guide for Zombie Tsunami
Guide for GTA San Andreas
Several Guides for Five nights at Freddy’s 2
Several Guides for Roblox
Guide for Hungry Shark World
Guide for Slither
Guide for Mortal Kombat X
Guide for Shadow Fight 2
Guide for Shadow Fight 3
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