Chinese malware called HummingBad has infected at least 10 million Android devices, according to security researchers.
Cybersecurity software maker Check Point released an analysis about the malware, which the firm has tracked since it was discovered in February. HummingBad gives cybercriminals administrative-level access to infected Android devices. It downloads apps and clicks adds without users’ knowledge, generating fraudulent advertising revenue of up to $300,000 per month, CNET reports.
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| HummingBad |
The majority of the malware’s victims are in China and India, each with over 1 million cases. The U.S. is home to roughly a quarter of a million infected devices, according to the report.
Check Point says a team of developers at Yingmob, a multimillion-dollar advertising analytics agency based in Beijing, is behind HummingBad. The group can also sell access to and information from infected phone, the security firm says.
According to Check Point, Apple devices have also been hit by similar malware, including some attacks from Yingmob using an iOS malware called Yispecter.
[CNET]