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from the remember-when-the-internet-was-a-safe-place? dept.
Sixty games were booted off the Play Store after security firm Check Point discovered that they contained pornographic ads and malicious components. Before their removal, the games were downloaded between 3 million and 7 million times, according to the download metrics on the Play Store.
The malware is dubbed "AdultSwine," and according to Check Point Research, it had three main features:
- Displaying ads from the Web that are often highly inappropriate and pornographic
- Attempting to trick users into installing fake "security apps"
- Inducing users to register to premium services at the user's expense
The 60 listings in the Play Store were generally knockoff games, like "Five Nights Survival Craft." In some cases, the creator simply stole a real IP, as in "Drawing Lessons Angry Birds." Once installed, the app would phone home, sending information about the user's phone and receiving instructions on how to operate. The app could hide its icon, making removal more difficult. Check Point says the malware could display ads from "the main ad providers" or switch to its own ad server, which provided porn ads, scareware ads, and ads that tricked the user into signing up for premium services. AdultSwine not only displayed ads while users played the game that came with the malware; it could also show pop-up ads on top of other apps.
Source: https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/01/games-with-pornographic-ads-slip-through-play-store-filters/
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 17 2018, @12:36AM (5 children)
At one time people were worried about worms, viruses and other spyware on the internet. Now when you buy a hand-held computer (with a phone function), you are buying spyware. (They spy on you and make you pay for it!). In addition to that, installing spyware that was developed by and is being monitored by agencies such as the jewish/khazarian Mossad and CIA. They do this in real time. Whenever you touch a button on your phone, it phones home to Mossad telling them of your interaction. What you type on your phone shows up in real time on the computer screen of a jew/khazarian in israel. That thought makes me sick.
(Score: 1) by anubi on Wednesday January 17 2018, @03:56AM
Oh gawd what a moderation nightmare.... you show great insight but troll like a sunuvagun.
As far as I am concerned, my phone is a handheld whore, not to be trusted with anything, but - despite her shortcomings - at least she's useful for a few things. But downloading apps willy-nilly? I don't believe the OS is up to snuff yet to rein-in the bad behaviour that can be coded into apps by malicious programmers. Nor have I seen an OS which will work with me to "micromanage" apps, doing things like showing me exactly what the app is doing. While the industry "works with Congress" to pass LAW that makes understanding what your machine is doing - aka "reverse engineering", to be an illegal activity.
Some of the software industry is having a wet dream with Congress... having the ability to codify law that in essence says: In order to buy this car, you must sign this legally binding agreement. You are NOT allowed to read the given document, or discuss among yourselves the legal language within, but you MUST obey it, and take responsibility for whatever grief it causes you.
Your Congressmen passed this. Rounds of handshakes between Congressmen and self-proclaimed Rightsholders follow. And you remain lawfully ignorant. And get to incessantly bleat about even to this day not being able to open an email document.
This mess did not just happen... it took Acts of Congress to implement/mandate such stupidity.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 3, Interesting) by SomeGuy on Wednesday January 17 2018, @04:10AM (3 children)
A big reason people started using "smart phones" was to get away from the crap running on desktop PCs. And now that these smart phones have reached a critical mass, this same crap has migrated to their smart phone.
Time to go back to "dumb" phones.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by anubi on Wednesday January 17 2018, @07:03AM (1 child)
I'd gladly settle for a smartphone with a trustworthy OS. I was hoping Android would gravitate this way. Apple to me was a proprietary "walled garden", great for those who need everything vetted and sold to them like dishes in expensive restaurants. Microsoft... uhhh what happens if I open an email?
I was hoping Android would gravitate to a simple OS that runs stuff in sandboxes. If some sandbox resident starts flinging poo, document the poo, and let me dump the sandbox and invite something else in.
"Prove all things; hold fast that which is good." [KJV: I Thessalonians 5:21]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 17 2018, @12:54PM
I'd gladly settle for a featurephone with a trustworthy OS.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 17 2018, @06:57PM
This one never left. Still carries and age old dumbphone that talks UMTS, that can optionally be paired up with a computer or "smartphone" (PDA more like it) for mobile data connectivity when the need arises.
Just need a bit more pocket space than the pervasive t-shirt and skinny jeans allows for...