Google removes widespread Android apps that stole Facebook passwords | Engadget

Google continues to be racing to drag Android apps that commit main privateness violations. Ars Technica notes that Google has eliminated 9 apps from the Play Store after Dr. Web analysts discovered they have been trojans stealing Facebook login particulars. These weren’t obscure titles — the malware had over 5.8 million mixed downloads and posed as easy-to-find titles like “Horoscope Daily” and “Rubbish Cleaner.”

The apps tricked customers by loading the actual Facebook sign-in web page, solely to load JavaScript from a command and management server to “hijack” credentials and move them alongside to the app (and thus the command server). They would additionally steal cookies from the authorization session. Facebook was the goal in every case, however the creators might simply have simply steered customers towards different web providers.

There have been 5 malware variants within the combine, however all of them used the identical JavaScript code and configuration file codecs to swipe info.

Google advised Ars it banned all of the app builders from the shop, though which may not be a lot of a deterrent when the perpetrators can probably create new developer accounts. Google could must display for the malware itself to maintain the attackers out.

The query, in fact, is how the apps racked up as many downloads as they did earlier than the takedown. Google’s largely automated screening retains numerous malware out of the Play Store, however the subtlety of the approach may need helped the rogue apps slip previous these defenses and go away victims unaware that their Facebook knowledge fell into the flawed fingers. Whatever the trigger, it is protected to say that try to be cautious about downloading utilities from unknown builders regardless of how widespread they appear.