Terrifying! Android Malware Exposed, 50 Brands and 89 Million Phones Infected

Android malware infects 89 million phones across 50 brands

【PhoneAuto News】On May 22nd, PhoneAuto learned from foreign media that 8.9 million Android phones worldwide were pre-infected by a cybercrime organization called Lemon Group, becoming tools for their malicious activities. These phones are not only used to steal and sell text messages, social media, and online communication accounts, but also to display unnecessary ads and conduct click fraud, causing huge losses and troubles for users.

Android

The report stated that this cybercrime organization has existed for five years, and they have used a malware called Guerrilla to infect Android devices from over 50 brands, especially low-cost phones. These devices are distributed in multiple countries around the world. Among them, the countries with the most severe infections are the United States, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, Russia, South Africa, India, Angola, the Philippines, and Argentina.

Guerrilla can control servers through commands and install additional malware. These “modules” can collect user data to sell to advertisers, inject ads to earn revenue, and deplete resources on victims’ phones.

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This cybercrime organization is not only technically advanced but also connected to another mobile Trojan organization called Triada. They constantly update and improve their malware to adapt to different targets and environments.

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How did this malware enter Android phones? According to the report, Guerrilla implanted its malware into firmware components produced by an unnamed third-party supplier that produces firmware components for mobile phones. So when users buy these phones, they are already infected. Moreover, this supplier also produces similar components for Android Auto, which means other Android-based IoT devices may also be affected.

Furthermore, the report also mentions that Guerilla may have brought considerable profits to groups that manufacture malicious software.

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