Sophos releases list of malware apps affecting Android

Security specialist Sophos has released a list of the most deadly malware applications affecting the Android OS. The company has analyzed the stats from the Sophos Mobile Security software installations on Android smart phones and tablets in 118 different countries around the world. Based on the statistics so gained, the company has been able to highlight the apps, which can cause massive malware.

According to the company the top five culprits include:

 

1. Andr/PJApps-C. This type of malware is paid for apps that have been hacked. They are not necessarily always malicious, but are very likely to be illegal.

2. Andr/BBridge-A. Also known as BaseBridge, this malware uses a privilege escalation exploit to elevate its privileges and install additional malicious apps onto your Android device. It uses HTTP to communicate with a central server and leaks potentially identifiable information.

These malicious apps can send and read SMS messages, potentially costing you money. In fact, it can even scan your incoming SMS messages and automatically remove warnings that you are being charged a fee for using premium rate services it has signed you up for.

3. Andr/BatteryD-A. This "Battery Doctor" app falsely claims to save battery life on your Android device. But it actually sends potentially identifiable information to a server using HTTP, and aggressively displays adverts.

4. Andr/Generic-S. This type of malware range from privilege escalation exploits to aggressive adware such as variants of the Android Plankton malware.

5. Andr/DrSheep-A. This type of malware can allow malicious hackers to hijack Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin sessions in a wireless network environment.

Other commonly-seen Android malware include: the Andr/DroidRt-A, which escalates its privileges that can allow someone to obtain root access to the Android device.

Andr/Opfake-C is a fake Opera app which may install other malicious Android packages and send SMS messages to a premium line number, depending on country.

Andr/Boxer-A is similar to the above malware but it poses itself as a fake installer for Opera browser update, Skype, Anti-virus software, Instagram and many other popular apps. This may install other malicious Android packages and can send SMS messages to premium rate services numbers.

Other details of the Sophos results can be accessed here.