Android Malware Update; ‘BadBazaar’ Targets Social Channels
111 New Apps Contains Harmful Virus
Google Play is the official App store where millions of people download applications to enhance the functionality of their tech devices. With Android mobile phones transforming everyday lives, you can download any kind of App, you can dream of from Google Play from thousands of App developers.
However, while enhancing your mobile experience with the Apps on Google Play Store, you must also be mindful of these downloadable Apps from unknown developers. On Google Play the official marketplace for Android app developers, there are also criminal hackers from the dark web, who have created a large number of Apps and games coded with their malicious malware.
But there are also Apps from reputable developers who usually have lots of excellent reviews on the Google platform. Individuals downloading Apps on their Android devices must be aware that it is very hard to identify the Apps and games that are dangerous.
The latest Android spyware is dubbed “BadBazaar” reported in November 2022. Currently, its main target is ethnic and religious groups in the Chinese province of Uyghurs, Xinjiang. This minority group totaling 13 million Muslims has already been chastised by the central Chinese government since their cultural practice completely divert from traditional Chinese values.
About BadBazaar Android Malware
MalwareHunterTeam was credited with identifying the resurgence of this spyware confined to China, but could later be used to target unsuspecting victims in other countries. BadBazaar is linked to the Bahamut hackers according to analytical results posted by VirusTotal.
Meanwhile, this malware backdoor was used by the APT15 aka Pitty Tiger state-sponsored hacking group, who targeted the same ethnic Uyghurs group in 2020. According to released documents, this same virus infrastructure was detected in 2018 by the Lookout cyber security firm. Some of the BadBazaar hackers’ malicious Apps are seen in the featured image on this article.
The BadBazaar malware first surfaced in 2018, it is found in 111 different Apps and was frequently advertised on online social communication groups, especially with ethnic Uyghurs. So far, these malicious Apps are being promoted as media players, dictionaries, battery savers, religious gadgets, and other enhancing features popular with Android devices.
How to Avoid Malicious Apps on Google Play
Android’s official App store reported that while some malicious applications have been able to pass its security detection system, there are some dangerous Apps that most likely were distributed through rogue websites or unreliable third-party stores.
Google Play Store advised that individuals must read cyber security articles to find out which Apps are dangerous, and how to protect themselves from becoming victims of dark web hackers. If you have downloaded any type of malware on your Android device, you must immediately remove it.
Here is how to find and uninstall malicious malware and virus from your Android devices. First, before you download any App from the Google or Apple App stores, you must search online to see if others have left negative reviews about the Apps you want to download.
Next, if you have downloaded a malicious App, you must find the harmful App on your Android device, then check your phone settings to see how to manually remove unwanted applications. You will have to run a virus scan to help remove all traces of the malware.
However, if you find the harmful Malware too difficult to remove, you should hire a phone repair technician, who can manually remove all traces of the dangerous virus from your Android phone.
