iOS Clicker Trojan Malware Found in 17 Apps in Apple's App Store

guest · Oct 24, 2019

iOS Clicker Trojan Malware Found in 17 Apps in Apple's App Store
October 24, 2019
https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/ne...malware-found-in-17-apps-in-apples-app-store/

More than a dozen iOS apps infected with clicker Trojan malware and distributed via the Apple App Store were found to perform ad fraud-related tasks in the background, using the command and control servers of a similar Android ad fraud campaign.

The malware module bundled with the 17 iOS apps is designed to communicate with a previously known command and control (C2) server and it simulates ad clicks and opens web pages in the background without the need of user interaction, thus carrying out an ad fraud campaign by abusing all iPhones, iPads, and iPods it compromises.

"The objective of most clicker trojans is to generate revenue for the attacker on a pay-per-click basis by inflating website traffic," researchers at Wandera Threat Labs explain.
Designed for ad fraud
The malicious iOS apps were distributed as part of a diverse array of categories including but not limited to productivity, platform utilities, and travel, as a contacts directory, a speedometer, or a BMI calculator.
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Protecting your mobile device and your data
"This discovery is the latest in a series of bad apps being surfaced on an official mobile app store and another proof point that malware does impact the iOS ecosystem," Wandera's researchers concluded.
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Wandera: Trojan malware infecting 17 apps on the App Store

guest · Oct 27, 2019

Sing it loud: The App Store's not perfect. Especially when it's up against click fraud code this clever
October 25, 2019
https://www.wired.com/story/apple-app-store-malware-click-fraud/

Despite some recent pronounced lapses, the iPhone remains one of the most secure consumer devices you can buy, thanks in large part to the locked-down ecosystem of the iOS App Store. But things do slip through the cracks—including 18 apps that used evasive maneuvers to sneak past Apple’s defenses.

That sort of adware makes regular appearances on Android, in part because that platform’s third-party app stores are riddled with bad actors. On iOS? Not so much.

"I think this one changed the game a bit for the types of things Apple needs to look for."
It’s a simple evasion, but clever. More important, in this case it was effective. If you downloaded one of these apps, it would act perfectly normal until it was reasonably confident that you’re a genuine mark.
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“This is an excellent catch,” says Will Strafach, founder of Sudo Security Group and developer of the Guardian Firewall app for iOS.
It also illustrates how Apple’s App Store screening process isn’t quite as impregnable as you might assume.

“Because ad fraud does not relate to actually malicious activity for the user, Apple likely does not put a high priority on policing it,” Strafach says.
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iOS Clicker Trojan Malware Found in 17 Apps in Apple's App Store

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