From Turkish Clicker: Check Point Finds New Malware on Google Play
The Check Point research team has discovered an extensive malware campaign on the Google Play™ store. Check Point Mobile Threat Prevention detected the first samples of malware we call “Turkish Clicker” on several customer devices.
The malicious code was found in the apps “Fruit Life,” “City HD Wallpapers,” and “Adiyef Puzzle.” Google has removed all of these apps from Google Play.
Like BrainTest, which Check Point researchers discovered in September 2015, this demonstrates how easy it is for fraudsters to publish malicious apps on official app stores like Google Play.
While official App Stores such as Google Play and Apple’s App Store are no guarantee of a malware-free experience, they do a level of checking on apps submitted to ensure they are what they say on the tin and not doing something nefarious behind the scenes. Malicious app makers are engaging in a sort of cat-and-mouse game to try and sneak their apps through the review process, though once found, these malicious apps are removed from the official app stores.
Worse things can happen with unofficial applications or even ones that look official, but are sideloaded. Avoid it if you can. Meanwhile, if you have corporate data on your personal device, that data should be protected with a solution like Check Point’s Mobile Threat Prevention,