Usually, we are safe in the fact that we personally know what charges we incur on our smartphones. But with dangerous malware around, you might be racking up costs on your smartphone without you knowing. This is what the “ExpensiveWall” malware does, and the fact that it has befuddled Google Play’s security makes it more dangerous.
The ExpensiveWall malware was discovered and reported by Check Point, but the sad thing was that the app variants that carried said malware were downloaded anywhere around 5 to 20 million times before they were removed from the Play Store. This malware was “packed” – which means it was encrypted in a way that evades Google Play’s built-in anti-malware protections.
What ExpensiveWall does is that after you install the app that carries it, it will register your smartphone or mobile device to premium services without your knowledge. It will then send fraudulent premium SMS messages, so that your phone’s embedded payment account racks up charges for fake services.
So we are hoping that Google can up their protection from “packed” malware like ExpensiveWall, so that it doesn’t get in to the Play Store in the first place. A bit of care will go a long way, of course. Make sure that you’re downloading legit apps. The list of apps that carry ExpensiveWall is available at the source link.
SOURCE: Check Point
