14 DAY TRIAL // Android users from Japan and Korea are warned about fake Vertu applications that hide a piece of malware called Android/Smsilence.C.
According to Irfan Asrar of McAfee, the malware is capable of performing several malicious tasks, including intercepting SMS messages and other information, and installing other spyware on the infected device.
Once it’s installed, the Trojan registers the smartphone’s number with an external server, and places an Internet filter to make sure that all the incoming messages can be stolen. In the meantime, the victim is presented with a loading screen and, ultimately, an error message informing them that the service is unavailable.
Smsilence.C is not very sophisticated, but it has still managed to infect between 50,000 and 60,000 devices.
As expected, the fake Vertu app is not the only one used to spread the threat. After analyzing the command and control server, experts have noticed that around 20 fake apps have been uploaded to Google Play by the cybercriminals.