Hackers Can Add Malicious Android Apps to Play Store for Rs 4,000
Malware has been a big problem for Google, and it has had a hard time detecting malicious apps from time to time. Now the company has another problem to solve as according to a new report, hackers now have the ability to add these malicious apps to the Play Store and are doing so for up to $5,000 (roughly Rs. 4,000), but the price may go up. to $20,000 (approx. Rs. 16.40 lakh).
These hackers connect through the Darknet, where they can easily find buyers for these apps, and adding them to the Play Store definitely casts more doubt on how Google restricts or detects such apps from infecting devices.
Kaspersky has shared the details of these intrusions, and believes that both Google and users need to be careful when downloading such apps.
“We found messages on the Darknet from cybercriminals complaining about how it is now much more difficult for them to upload their malicious apps to official stores. However, this also means that they are now developing much more sophisticated circumvention systems, so users should remain vigilant and carefully check what applications they download,” said Alisa Kulishenko, a security specialist at Kaspersky.
How do cybercriminals push malicious apps?
Now that you know the cost of publishing such apps on the Play Store, it’s time to know the technology and process of how to do this. Kaspersky says these hackers need an account on Google Play and a download code that is malicious.
They need to get a developer account to try this hack. Prices for malicious downloaders range from $2,000 to $20,000, depending on the complexity of the malware, the novelty and prevalence of the malicious code, and additional functionality, the report adds.
The higher the price, the more advanced the hacker can allow, which can make it harder to detect malicious apps. Buyers get a guarantee of a certain number of downloads and keep the app in the Play Store for a certain number of days/weeks and more.
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