Top 10 Dangerous Android Viruses

In today's world, Android smartphones are among the most popular devices, and unfortunately, this makes them attractive targets for hackers and attackers. In this article, we will look at the five most dangerous viruses for Android, their history, methods of infection, dangers for users, and the actions of viruses after infecting the device.

Joker

• First discovered: September 2019 by CSIS Security Group.
• How it gets into the system: through infected applications downloaded from the Google Play Store.
• Danger to the user: theft of personal data, subscription to paid services without the user's consent.
• Actions after infection: Activates in the background, collects personal user data and connects the user to paid services.

Anubis

• First discovered: June 2018, by IBM X-Force investigation team.
• How it gets into the system: infected applications, phishing sites and fraudulent SMS messages.
• Danger to the user: theft of banking data, credentials for various services, encryption of files and ransom demands.
• Actions after infection: disguises itself as applications, monitors user activity, steals data and encrypts files.

Triada

• First discovered: March 2016 by Kaspersky Lab.
• How it gets into the system: most often it is already pre-installed on some smartphones at the time of sale, as well as through infected applications.
• Danger to the user: theft of money, access to personal data, integration with other malicious programs.
• Actions after infection: obtains root rights on the device, disguises itself as system applications and cooperates with other viruses to steal data.

HummingBad

• First discovered: February 2016 by Check Point.
• How it gets into the system: infected applications,
• downloaded from third-party app stores and via drive-by downloads on compromised sites.
• Danger to the user: theft of personal data, generation of fake traffic and intrusive advertising.
• Actions after infection: obtains root rights on the device, installs additional malicious applications and uses the device to generate fake traffic and display intrusive advertising.

BankBot

• First discovered: April 2017, by Avast's investigation team.
• How it gets into the system: through infected applications in the Google Play Store and third-party stores, as well as phishing SMS messages.
• Risk to the user: theft of banking data, credentials and other confidential information.
• Actions after infection: disguises itself as popular banking applications or other services, tracks user activity, intercepts entered data and transmits it to attackers.

Loapi

• First discovered: December 2017 by Kaspersky Lab.
• How it gets into the system: infected applications downloaded from third-party stores and fake websites.
• Danger to the user: use of device resources for cryptocurrency mining, display of intrusive advertising, theft of personal information and attacks on the network.
• Actions after infection: obtains root rights on the device, installs additional malicious modules and uses the device to mine cryptocurrency.

Skygofree

• First discovered: January 2018, by Kaspersky Lab.
• How it gets into the system: Phishing SMS messages and compromised websites.
• Danger to the user: user surveillance, identity theft, wiretapping and message interception.
• Actions after infection: installs itself on the device, gains access to the camera, microphone and location, and transmits the collected information to the attackers.

CopyCat

• First discovered: May 2017 by Check Point.
• How it gets into the system: infected applications from third-party stores and compromised sites.
• Danger to the user: identity theft, fake traffic and intrusive advertising.
• Actions after infection: obtains root rights on the device, installs additional malicious applications and uses the device to generate fake traffic and display intrusive advertising.

Agent Smith

• First discovered: July 2019 by Check Point.
• How it gets into the system: through infected applications downloaded from third-party app stores and infected websites.
• Danger to the user: replacement of legitimate applications with infected versions, display of intrusive advertising and theft of personal data.
• Post-infection actions: Scans installed apps on the device, replaces them with infected versions without the user's knowledge, and uses them to display intrusive ads and collect data.

Gooligan

• First discovered: November 2016 by Check Point.
• How it gets into the system: through infected applications from third-party stores and phishing sites.
• Risks to the user: theft of Google credentials, installation of malicious applications, generation of fake traffic and display of intrusive advertising.
• Post-infection actions: Roots the device, steals the user's Google credentials, installs additional infected apps, and uses the device to generate fake traffic and display intrusive ads.

It is important to remember that the world of mobile viruses is constantly evolving, and attackers are constantly creating new and dangerous malware. To protect your device and personal information, Android users should follow security recommendations: download apps only from trusted sources, such as the Google Play Store, be careful with the permissions that apps require, and use reliable antivirus solutions. It is also necessary to update the operating system in a timely manner.