Over 10 Million Android phones infected with GriftHorse malware

According to researchers at Zimperium zLabs, a new Android trojan called GriftHorse has been embedded into no less than 200 malicious apps which were approved into the Google Play store as well as some third-party app stores. To date, the malware operators have managed to infect more than 10 million Android devices from over 70 countries and stole tens of millions of dollars from their victims.

Believed to have been in operation since November 2020, the "GriftHorse" campaign relies on victims being duped into handing over their phone number, which is then used to subscribe them to premium SMS messaging services.

Victims first download Android apps that appear innocent and legitimate. These apps vary from puzzle games and utilities to dating software, food and drink, with the most popular malicious app - a translator - accounting for at least 500,000 downloads.

With over 10 million infected devices, it's estimated the gang is generating income of between $1.5 million and $4 million every month. According to Zimperium researchers Aazim Yaswant and Nipun Gupta, the success of GriftHorse is due to the "malware's code quality, using a wide spectrum of websites (194 domains), malicious apps, and developer personas to infect users and avoid detection for as much as possible."

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