Google Playstore Under Attack by Advanced Malware? [News & Rumors]

Google Play Store users need to be warned that there is a malware which is disguised as a game, and it is attacking their phones.

The malware, which is said to appear as an application called "Brain Test," has been infecting Android phones since August. Neurogadget reported that the said malware may be more advanced than previously thought.

The report divulged that the app has been "pushing ads" on the devices of those who downloaded the "Brain Test." However, the gadget news outlet highlighted that current study on the app showed that it is causing more damage in the background, citing that it can even avoid Google's vetting system.

The news release also discussed that the malware is capable of "gaining root access" and insistently show unwanted advertisements anytime in the infected phone without getting the user's permission.

Furthermore, Neurogadget explained that the "sophisticated framework" of the malware makes it capable of manipulating the device that installs it. As cited in a previous report by E Week, the malware places a "rootkit" on the infected device which in turn, allows the attacker to run an "arbitrary code" on the device.

Unfortunately, since the malware is really hard to detect due to its complexity, updated and proven effective anti-malware software is needed just to identify it.

However, the phone needs to be re-flashed in order to fully delete it, which will require an official ROM as the Malware has the capacity to re-install through the additional apps which have been integrated with it.

The "Brain Test" app, which features the aggressive malware which attacked Google Play Store twice in one month, has been installed by as much as a million users before Google removed it last Sept. 15, 2015.

E Week, nonetheless, cited that it will be difficult to fix the cause of the malware given that it uses "multiple approaches" as well as Common Vulnerabilities Exposures (CVEs) from various "vendors" which Google is not capable of addressing.

Moreover, the manner that the malware was designed to allow the attackers to repurpose it, thereby making the ad-pushing malware really difficult to stop.

The E Week report mentioned that the malware appears to be of Chinese origin, but the one responsible for the attacks has not yet been identified as of present time.

Have you downloaded the Brain Test app that infected your android phone? Share us your thoughts and tips on the comment section below.