New Report Finds Hidden Mobile Apps Pose a Threat for Hacks and Backdoor Exploits

Hikvision Blog Covers Vulnerabilities, Password Hacks and Backdoor Exploits

Hidden mobile apps pose a threat for hacks and backdoor exploits, according to the Security magazine article, “2020: The Year of Mobile Sneak Attacks?” which covers findings from the McAfee Mobile Threat Report 2020.

From the article: “Last year, hackers targeted consumers with a wide variety of methods, from backdoors to mining cryptocurrencies, says the company. Based on new research, McAfee has uncovered that hackers have expanded the ways of hiding their attacks, making them increasingly difficult to identify and remove, which makes it seem like 2020 will be the year of mobile sneak attacks.”

The report found that hidden mobile apps generated almost 50 percent of malware activity during 2019. This is a 30 percent increase from the prior year. The article added that “Hidden apps take advantage of unsuspecting consumers in multiple ways, including taking advantage of consumers using third-party login services or serving unwanted ads.”

Other insights from the McAfee report include:

Cybercriminals are targeting gaming apps to hack, by mimicking genuine icons that instead serve malicious purposes. “McAfee researchers uncovered that popular apps like FaceApp, Spotify, and Call of Duty all have fake versions trying to prey on unsuspecting consumers, especially younger users,” said the article.

A new malware exploits Android features to create accounts and post reviews, using “fake warnings” with the intention of unleashing malware.

Click this link to read the entire article.