10 million Android phones infected with malware – Daily News – Lisbon

Hummingbad software gives control of mobile phones to third parties and generates $ 300,000 a month to hackers

more than 10 million mobile phones with the Android operating system have been infected by Hummingbad, malicious software that installs the devices and gives the phone control to third parties. This malware was detected for the first time in February this year and was associated with a Chinese advertising company, Yingmob.

The malicious software already have yielded $ 300,000 per month, about 270 thousand euros, to creators because install fraudulent applications without the phone owner’s authorization and displays unwanted advertisements. The Hummingbad is an example of self-sustaining malware.

Yingmob, headquartered in Beijing, is accused of having infected mobile phones on a large scale, using a front company advertising. According to Check Point, the page that revealed the scheme, Yingmob have access to millions of mobile phones worldwide. Most infected phones is in China, India and the Philippines.

Hummingbad creates a stable source for cybercriminals because “groups can gather device capabilities to create powerful programs” as “databases for future highly targeted attacks, or can build new revenue streams through the sale of access devices under its control “the other pirates, said Check Point’s report.