Another day, another case of malware in the official Android store, McAfee reports. A few apps by a company known as ValerySoftware have appeared in the Google Play Store. The apps are made to look like anime Minecraft mods. The smallest estimates on the number of infected users are at 3000. The apps are reportedly nothing more than empty shell apps, providing no content except for the malware.
This isn’t the first malicious app found in the official Google play store
Nor will it be the last. Earlier this month, 155 apps on the Google Play store were infected with spyware. The freedom the Android store provides developers and publishers which inevitably leads to some abusing that freedom. The ValerySoftware infected apps were masked to look like mods of Minecraft. The apps required tons of permissions that thousands of people gave. The required permissions are:
- Location
- Photo/Media/Files
- Wi-Fi connection information
- Device ID and call information
These Minecraft mods that aren’t even functional, require a huge amount of data from the naïve individuals who install them. As of now, ValerySoftware has put out six apps, all Minecraft mods, and all include malware. The full list of apps is:
- Yandere Chan for Minecraft PE
- Mod for Minecraft PE
- Mod for Minecraft
- Yandere Chan for Minecraft
- Mod for MCPE
- Mods for MCPE
Reception of the ValerySoftware Apps
The malicious apps have very low Google Play score. No user reviews claim to have played the mods; the only positive feedback comes from what looks like shell accounts, probably made by the developers of the malware. The crooks at ValerySoftware couldn’t even be bothered to write separate descriptions for their apps. This kind of virus really is the lowest common denominator of malicious content. These crooks don’t even bother with looking inconspicuous. Most users have trouble deleting the malicious “mods.” It’s about as lazy as malware can get. A hacker group from Europe is likely responsible for the ValerySoftware malware.
Why Hasn’t Google Blocked the Apps?
Although the Google Play store blocks most malware threats, it wasn’t able to restrict access for the malicious Minecraft mods. The crooks hid the malware by including antiemulation techniques to modify its signature. That way, the security of the Google Play store couldn’t detect and block the malware. As of now, the apps are still available for download.
Security Tips for Avoiding Security Threats on the Google Play Store
Our team has prepared a guide for improving
Android security . The ValerySoftware apps are just the kind of content our guide warns against. If an app requires permissions that aren’t warranted, like a keyboard application requiring access to your camera, it may be for the best to pass on the download. In addition to that, always read the user reviews before downloading an app. If the feedback is mostly negative, it might be best to skip the app. Also, watch out for reviews that report that the app is hard to delete, as malware content often is. As we said before, the Minecraft mods aren’t even attempting to look legitimate and lack any useful functional content. If you have downloaded them, It’s for the best to delete them as soon as you can.
