These Samsung Galaxy Store apps could infect your new devices with malware

Date:
Tue, 28 Dec 2021 13:25:11 +0000

Description:
Multiple apps providing dynamic code execution discovered in Samsung Galaxy Store.

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Potentially malicious smartphone tools are being distributed through Samsungs mobile app store, researchers have warned.

At least five apps, clones of the deceased Showbox app, have popped up in the Galaxy Store, Max Weinbach of Android Police reported via Twitter.

The apps themselves dont directly contain malicious code, but they could be used as a stepping stone. In fact, their design implies that they do serve
the purpose of a gateway towards more serious mobile malware . Galaxy store risk

Speaking to Android Police , security researcher linuxct explained that two
of the apps can do dynamic code execution, which means they can download and execute other, potentially malicious code.

Knowing the fact that there are very few legitimate use cases for this functionality, as well as the fact that it could be weaponized easily, its safe to assume that was the point, in the first place.

"So at any moment it may become a trojan/malware, hence it's unsafe and thus why so many vendors flagged it in VT/Play Protect," linuxct explains.

The good news is that Googles Play Protect, essentially a mobile antivirus that scans incoming apps for signs of trouble, triggers a warning when the user tries to install any of the apps. The bad news is, given that the apps reside on Samsungs official store, people could be ignoring the warning. In fact, the apps cumulatively have hundreds of reviews, which could mean that they have plenty of downloads. Unfortunately, Samsung doesnt count downloads from its app store, so its impossible to say at this point.

Some of the reviews do stress that the apps trigger the warning.

Android Police added that all of the apps are clones of Showbox, an old app that was accused of enabling piracy, but has been dead for at least two
years, and is unavailable on all main app stories.. We've also featured the best rugged smartphones



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/these-samsung-galaxy-store-piracy-apps-could-in fect-your-new-devices-with-malware/


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