A study conducted by Check Point Mobile Research Team revealed a severe infection in 38 Android devices that belong to a large telecommunications company and a multinational technology firm. What is even worse about it is that the malware found was not downloaded to the device as a result of the users' use, but was preinstalled.
The Kinds Of Malware Lurking Inside Android Devices
Before the users even bought their Android devices, the malware was already present. It is said that the malicious apps were not part of the official ROM supplied by the vendor and were added somewhere along the supply chain.
Around six of the malware found were to the device's ROM using system privileges, preventing the owner of the device from removing it. Furthermore, most of the malware were info-stealers and rough ad networks.
One of them was Slocker, a mobile ransomware that uses AES encryption algorithm to encrypt all files on the device and demand ransom in return for their description key. Another is Loki Malware which steals data about the device and installs itself to the system, allowing it to take full control of the device and achieve persistency.
List Of Android Devices Infected With Malware
An article at WCVB has listed the Android devices that were found to be infected with the malware. Here is the list:
Asus Zenfone 2
Google Nexus 5
Google Nexus 5X
Lenovo A850
Lenovo S90
LG G4
Oppo N3
OppoR7 Plus
Samsung Galaxy Note 2
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Samsung Galaxy Note 5
Samsung Galaxy Note 8
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
Samsung Galaxy S4
Samsung Galaxy S7
Samsung Galaxy Tab 2
Samsung Galaxy Tab S2
Vivo X6 Plus
Xiaomi Mi 4i
Xiaomi Redmi
ZTE X500
Previous reports showed that Android users are more likely to download malicious apps compared to iPhone users. The reason behind this is because the "Google-developed" operating systems are more open and adaptable.
