Technology - Google News

Two Android adware apps with 1.5 million downloads removed from Google Play Store - ZDNet

Posted: 20 Sep 2019 04:14 AM PDT

Two malicious Android apps with a combined total downloads over 1.5 million times have been removed from the official Play Store after Google were informed they were serving up adware.

Adware serves pop-up adverts which make money for its developers whenever the adverts are clicked. While adware is often more of an annoyance than anything else, the intrusive adverts can cause issues for users as the ads constantly run in the background, repeatedly interrupting use and draining battery.

SEE: A winning strategy for cybersecurity (ZDNet special report) | Download the report as a PDF (TechRepublic)

However, the two malicious apps - Sun Pro Beauty Camera and Funny Sweet Beauty Selfie Camera, examined by researchers at Wandera - also came with a number of additional permissions that suggest that the apps could be used for more intrusive behaviour if desired.

Both apps requested to record audio, allowing the app to use the microphone to listen in to anything said near the device at anytime, as well as a number of permissions that allow the app to be persistent on the device.

Sun Pro Beauty Camera was initially released in September 2017 and in its two years in the Play Store was downloaded over a million times. Funny Sweet Beauty Camera appeared in July this year and was downloaded over 500,000 times in just two months.

In both cases, the app is the only app published by the named developer, but both managed to get through vetting for Google's official app store.

"It's not the first time we've seen bad apps make it onto an official app store. Unfortunately, the vetting carried out by these official stores is largely focused on user experience," Dan Cuddeford, director of sales engineering at Wandera told ZDNet.

"Malware authors are very clever at hiding malicious functionality but there are usually some telltale signs," he added.

Both of the apps are packed with a Chinese tool which prevents the APK of the apps being unwrapped and analysed - and while researchers point out that this isn't a cast-iron guarantee of ill intent due to the functionality being used by many gaming apps, its use in a simple selfie app could potentially raise questions.

SEE: Malicious Android photography, gaming apps downloaded 8 million times from Google Play

The two apps have now been removed from the Google Play store and researchers recommend that those who've downloaded the apps uninstall them – even if that involves a factory reset.

To help avoid installing Android malware and malicious apps, Wandera recommends that users check the permissions the app requires to install and avoid doing so if they demand too much access to the phone.

Researchers also recommend looking at reviews of Android apps: both Sun Pro Beauty Camera and Funny Sweet Beauty Selfie had a spate of one star reviews complaining about the intrusive pop-up adverts.

ZDNet contacted Google for comment, but at the time of publication hadn't received a reply.

MORE ON CYBER CRIME

Let's block ads! (Why?)

TiVo confirms its customers will soon see ads before DVR recordings - The Verge

Posted: 21 Sep 2019 06:15 AM PDT

So much for it being an early, experimental test. TiVo has confirmed that it plans to place pre-roll video advertisements before DVR recordings for all customers — even those with a lifetime subscription plan. "DVR advertising is going to be a permanent part of the service," a company spokesperson flatly told Light Reading. "We expect to be fully rolled out to all eligible retail devices within 90 days."

"Eligible" retail devices are those running TiVo Experience 4, the latest software version. If your TiVo box is up to date, you can expect to start seeing these inserted commercials before your DVR'd show or movie starts playing. But it's also possible TiVo will extend these ads to products on TE3, so I wouldn't exactly count yourself safe there.

TiVo's defense of this decision, which many customers are likely to be upset about, is that you've got the ability to skip the ad as soon as it starts up.

"We're dedicated to innovation that helps our customers stay in control of how, when, and what they watch. Advertising is an important part of every media business and TiVo is investing in new advertising experiences. We have designed our new DVR advertising units with the ability to 'skip' ads anytime a customer hits 'skip.' This is part of our ongoing commitment to bring our users the best media discovery experience possible."

The ads might be skippable, but as a video posted at Zatz Not Funny shows, it's a sluggish transition between pre-roll commercials and content.

Customers on TiVo's forums are reacting just the way you'd expect them to, and there are a bunch that say they'll quit on the service and hardware altogether once they start seeing pre-roll ads when they sit down to watch something. An email I got after the story broke yesterday is filled with the same sentiment. "I logged into my TiVo account immediately and sent them a notice that if they start forcing ads on me for a service that I am paying for, that'll be the end of TiVo for me. I've been using a TiVo in one form or another since the Series II came out. I currently run a Bolt Vox OTA, a Mini, and an old Toshiba DVD unit." Some are having success by calling TiVo customer support and requesting that the ads be disabled, though I'm not sure if that'll actually pan out.

Others seem willing to put up with it. "I don't want that 20-second ad, but if it helps support the company that allows me to watch TV on my time/terms, I'll bite," wrote forum user MScottC. "I am not about to blow my own gasket over this. I'll protest, I'll email, but I won't start screaming that I'm dumping TiVo for an alternative, when in reality, no better alternative has shown up over 20 years."

Let's block ads! (Why?)