The notorious Joker malware is back once again after it reportedly compromised several Android devices in 2021. This time, the cybersecurity experts believed that this high-risk threat is affecting seven applications in the Android platform.
Joker Malware is Haunting Android Users
According to the latest report by The Sun, Pradeo, a known firm that specializes in mobile security, said that the Joker malware has been infecting seven apps in Android at the moment.
Although several security measures have been applied previously to Android, Google could not fully suppress the malware. The experts said that it could still bypass the protection.
Kaspersky analyst Tatyana Shishkova said that the Joker malware has reportedly infected at least 14 Android apps.
Going back to Pradeo, the said malware has recently attacked Color Message. Even though it had been discovered in 2017, it's still inflicting massive damage to Google amid security solutions.
The article also mentioned that the malware seems to be coming from the Russian servers. This means that Russian hackers might be the cybersecurity criminals behind this mobile threat.
Moreso, the Joker malware was also considered as a "fleeceware." This type of subscription software leeches money from the victims, which in this case are the Android users.
It comes in the form of SMS where users might have subscribed to an app without their knowledge and even their permission. It could also allow secret payments to operate online, as well as ad-clicking schemes.
Related Article: Joker Malware Returns--Spyware Has Infected Over 500,000 Huawei Users Through Android Apps in April
Pradeo Advised to Remove These 7 Android Apps Now
In the same report, Pradeo warned the users to uninstall the apps which were believed to be infected by the Joker malware. Here's a list to help you do that.
Emoji Wallpaper
Convenient Scanner 2
Separate Doc Scanner
Color Message
Push Message-Texting&SMS
Fingertip GameBox
Safety AppLock
The cybersecurity firm alerted Android users to be careful in downloading unauthorized apps on their devices. It's important to first run an antivirus application to double-check if the software is safe for usage.
In addition, Pradeo said that users should also watch out for potential signs of malware infection. According to it, your phone might be compromised already when you experience "crashing" apps.
Another clear symptom that there's malware in your phone is the sudden draining of your battery, not to mention the increased level of data usage. Don't forget to refrain from clicking suspicious links in your SMS as they could be an outlet for the malware.
How to Detect Malware in Android Device
Screenrant wrote that Android users should always have the latest version of the software. To check that, head to the Settings, then to System. After that, click the "System Update" and follow the necessary steps to download the updates.
You can also conduct a Google Security checkup in Google Play.
According to the report, Google suggested the removal of untrusted apps by uninstalling them. In the case of undetectable apps, it's always good to use anti-malware software such as Kaspersky and AVG.
If any of these procedures do not work, the last thing that you can do is reset your phone, which will mean erasing all the available data.
This article is owned by Tech Times
Written by Joseph Henry
