Despite arrests, Android malware persists in Japan
News On Japan via threatpost.com -- Dec 05

Android malware developers in Japan continue to peddle their product across the Internet and through the Google Play marketplace, undeterred by recent arrests in the nation.

Over the last few weeks spammers have ramped up circulation of the Android.Enesoluty malware in emails, in addition to publicizing the malware through Google's online app store. According to a report from Symantec's Security Response blog late last night, spammers are trying to disguise the app in spam emails with subject lines like "Android App Magazine" and "Smart Magazine."

The malware can also be downloaded from a handful of apps in Google Play, disguised as apps that improve battery life and run antivirus along with apps that provide news about anime characters and Japanese pop groups.

Once executed, the app uploads the phone's contacts to the developers' servers and proceeds to send a slew of spam to the harvested emails. Symantec notes the emails seem to cover the usual spam subjects. There have been emails about Viagra, fake celebrity greetings that trick users into thinking they want to be friends and emails about the malware in question.

Source: threatpost.com



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