Malware is forever evolving. We hate to say this but we don’t think we can ever find a world where there is no malware. You can avoid or remove them but there will still be new ones. We used to find them on computers and laptops but now, even smartphones are infected. They arrive in many different forms but all of them have one goal: to annoy the user. Well, that’s not really the intention of those people developing the malware but the effects are all the same.
For Android, there are different kinds and we’ve encountered a few. Not all anti-virus software like McAfee or Norton can track them right away. No wonder Android malware infection has the highest growth but with overall lower infection than other platforms. We’ve featured some memorable ones including one Android exploit that turned a smartphone into USB security hole. Most steal data by listening while others pose as other apps but turn out to be fake. There are malware that spy and sneak into Play Store. There are a lot of Android bearing malware and we already told you why you should be careful which phones you buy.
Earlier this year, Android users are being targeted by drive-by cryptomining sites. We don’t have the exact numbers of victims but we’ve got some good news–machine learning somehow helped Google prevent installation of 60.3% of harmful apps.
Some of the latest malware we learned about was that HiddenMiner reported by Trend Micro and those clickbait videos showing the Android version of Fortnite. Apparently, the game isn’t available yet.
A new piece of malware is in town and it’s not just affecting Android phones but even the Amazon Fire TV and Fire TV Stick devices. The spread even up to other platforms and devices isn’t surprising because these Amazon products also run on Android, therefore, vulnerable. This is more of a malware worm variant. A number of Fire TV owners have reported their devices being infected by the malware that appears as ADB.Miner. In Fire TV, this appears as “Test” named com.google.time.timer. What it does is mine cryptocurrencies. More danger happens as it attempts to spread to other Android products within the same network.
Developers are saying that you refrain or be careful in sideloading. You won’t always know the authenticity of what you’re sideloading onto Fire TV devices so it is best to be careful. We can’t say what apps exactly have the malware so be wise.
How do you know if your device is infected? Your phone or Fire TV will be slow to use. Apps will load slower than usual because there is some “mining” happening in the background. If you see a green Android robot icon with reference to a “Test”, this means your device is infected. It may or may not appear.
Simply look for an app named “Test”. You may not see it right away but on your Fire TV, use Total Commander to check for this particular app. If it’s present, don’t worry because you can remove the malware by doing a factory reset, uninstalling the malware, or installing the modified malware.
You can prevent this malware from infecting your Android devices. Just don’t sideload anything especially if you don’t know the source.
VIA: AFTVNews
