Android: Soraka virus infects millions of smartphones

Android: Soraka virus infects millions of smartphones

A hundred applications on the Play Store are infected with new malware called Soraka. Its particularity: it displays advertisements on the phone screen even when the latter is in standby or locked.

Not a week, or almost, without a security expert discovering new malware on the Play Store, the Android application store. This time, this concerns exactly 104 applications, and they are infected with malware called "Soraka". Spotted at the end of last week, it is hidden in the applications code, and once installed on a smartphone, its mission is to display advertising banners. Clearly, this is called adware.

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Even when the screen is locked or in standby, the ads appear without the knowledge of the user, who obviously does not know that it is linked to one of the applications he has downloaded. It is not super dangerous since it does not access personal data, and it does not steal it, but for hackers, it can generate millions of euros or dollars in revenue.

Malware that can also be discreet

Why? Because White Ops Threat Intelligence reports that this malware is present on 4.6 million smartphones! And why is this kind of malware still trapping Google and the Play Store detection systems? Because it is malware that takes time to activate, it seems. It does not strike right away and waits for some time before polluting the smartphone with advertisements.

Furthermore, it would be able to detect an antivirus so as not to appear. These strategies have enabled it to trap a hundred applications and millions of devices. One thing is certain, Google is informed and the 104 applications will disappear from the Play Store. And it is obviously advisable to uninstall them.