A new type of malware called Agent Smith silently infected 25 million mobile devices powered by Google’s Android operating system, according to Check Point Research, the Threat Intelligence unit of Check Point Software Technologies (NASDAQ: CHKP).
According to the cyber threat intelligence provider, Agent Smith appears as a Google-related app that exploits certain Android vulnerabilities. Android users are not aware that the malware spontaneously replaces installed apps with infected versions.
Additionally, Check Point Research found that the cyber criminals behind the malware are constantly looking for new vulnerability within the Android security environment.
Cyber criminals behind Agent Smith are showing fake ads on Android devices to make money
They are currently using Agent Smith to make money by showing fraudulent ads to the users of the infected mobile devices. However, they could use it for more harmful purposes such as eavesdropping and banking credential theft, according to the cyber threat intelligence provider.
