'CopyCat' Malware infected 14 million Google Android devices2017-07-06 15:23 by DanielaTags: CopyCat, malware
Researchers from cybersecurity firm Check Point discovered a new malware, dubbed CopyCat, that affected Android devices in an "unprecedented" campaign between April and May last year. The malware gave hackers "full control" over roughly 8 million devices. The majority of infected users were in Southeast Asia, but the analysts found it also spread to more than 280,000 Android devices in the US. It had the ability to gain root permissions, maintain persistence and control "any activity" on compromised devices. The malware achieved this by using a handful of exploits to take advantage of security holes in Android versions 5 and earlier, and then by hijacking a part of the Android systems called "Zygote," a software function that manages app launches. "While other adware [has existed] for a long time now, we can't really identify CopyCat with any known malware family, and it introduced new tactics which were never seen before," says Daniel Padon, a Check Point researcher, who noted it does not behave like other known adware families like HummingBad and Gooligan. Read more -here-
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