In a recent expose, Android Police’s Max Weinbach warned about a slew of malicious apps impersonating Showbox, a once-popular free movie and TV show streaming app for Android.
These malware-laden apps were distributed on the Galaxy Store, endangering the security of anyone who downloaded them.
A fake free movie-watching app distributed on the Galaxy Store
According to Weinbach, he discovered several fake Showbox apps on the Galaxy Store. When he tried to download one, he received a warning from Google’s Play Protect.
Upon analyzing the fake apps with VirusTotal, Weinbach received multiple warnings, including “dangerous software” and “ad fraud”… Some apps even requested excessive permissions, unnecessary for a free movie app, such as access to users’ contacts, call logs, and phone.
A slew of warnings upon analyzing the fake apps with VirusTotal
Android Police reached out to Android security analyst linuxct to dig deeper into these malicious apps. It was found that while the apps on the Galaxy Store didn’t contain malware, the malicious software would be downloaded post-installation.
Samsung’s Galaxy Store doesn’t display installation numbers, but the malicious apps had hundreds of reviews, some of which warned about malware.
When Android Police contacted Samsung about this issue, the company didn’t immediately respond. Similarly, Weinbach’s emails to the mentioned app developers went unanswered or bounced back.
Users are advised to only install apps from more secure sources like Google Play
The Showbox developers have warned that their app has been inactive for almost two years, and any websites or apps currently available are imposters.
While awaiting a response, users are advised to only install apps from more secure sources like Google Play, despite the occasional malware issues on the Google store.
According to Trí Thức Trẻ
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