Google has just removed 17 apps from its PlayStore. The
reason: The Joker Marle infected these applications. A marble that is difficult
to follow during the validation of the application on the platform and which
the user takes some time to notice.
Return of the Joker
Joker is a Marle that was discovered by Mountain View in 2017. This virus is a complex line of programming embedded in the application that is only triggered by a remote execution command. It is therefore almost impossible to find this line of code while the application is being validated by PlayStore. This joker steals the personal data of the user but also registers them for WAP services (Premium Paid Wireless Application Protocol) without their knowledge. Therefore, the victim will be billed for a recurring subscription for a period of time before realizing it. He has no choice but to unsubscribe and uninstall the app (if he knows it was hacked through an app).
It was the researchers on the TreatLabz team who discovered the presence of this marble in Android applications. According to her, the way Joker's works have not changed since its inception, but the marble remains impressive. Some of the application codes are base 64. The presence of Joker in the application is not identified by the Google team. After users install the applications, the Marle begins the attack. It downloads another part of the application after the hacking servers activate the code.
The 17 applications affected are All Good PDF Scanner, Mint Leaf Message - Your Private Message; Scanner, Desire Translate, Talent Photo Editor - Blur Focus, Care Message, Part Message, Paper Doc Scanner, Blue Scanner, Hummingbird PDF Converter - Photo to PDF and all good PDF scanners. Even if PlayStore has already removed these applications, you will need to uninstall them from your smartphones.
A few months ago, PlayStore had already removed 21 apps from its platform before adding another list of 15 apps. These applications all contained malware that has the same attack principles as Joker. These are usually selfie and photo editor apps, the purpose of which was to display advertisements in any part of the smartphone, even when the app is not active. It is claimed that over 25,000 apps in the store contain marble and have tens of millions of downloads.
User vigilance must be essential
Therefore, user vigilance is required to fight malware. It is advisable to thoroughly check the applications also on the PlayStore platform before downloading them. Some users who have become victims of malware leave negative reviews on every application. The authorization of the applications to grant them access to part of your smartphone should also be checked.
