A Chinese Ad Firm Is Using Malware to Get More Clicks (vice.com)

An anonymous reader shares a Motherboard report: Advertising agencies go to great lengths to spread their clients' messages. Now, researchers have uncovered a new approach: malware. This month, cybersecurity company Check Point reports that a Chinese group called Yingmob has distributed mobile device malware on a massive scale, apparently alongside a legitimate advertising analytics business. Listed as based in Beijing's Chaoyang District, Yingmob, a subsidiary of MIG Unmobi Technology Inc., markets itself like any other advertising firm. Its professional-looking website claims its easy-to-deploy ads support text, pictures, and video, and don't affect the user experience. It offers pop-up, sidebar, and in-app adverts. But Check Point's report claims that part of the company -- the "Development Team for Overseas Platform," which employs a staff of 25 people -- is responsible for malware it has dubbed HummingBad. This malware allows the injection of adverts into victims' devices. Whenever someone clicks on one of these adverts, Yingmob gets paid, just like a typical advertising campaign. The first infection method Check Point came across was a "drive-by-download," whereby Yingmob's malware targets a victim when they visit a malicious website, then proceeds to download malicious apps onto their device. In its analysis, Check Point writes that nearly 10 million people are using malicious Android apps made by Yingmob.

Comments

Time to spread the following

[Gojira Shipi-Taro]

"Yingmob uses this platform to promote Tibetan Independence."

The matter should sort itself out rather quickly.

Re:Time to spread the following

[Rick Zeman]

"Yingmob uses this platform to promote Tibetan Independence."

The matter should sort itself out rather quickly.

...care of the Chinese Secret police.

New low

[dr.Flake]

I think we can conclude the business model of advertising paying for content is currently failing.
Users are overwhelmed with advertising, but spend only so much. Solution: more advertising.

So now it seems like 90% of the bits is download to read some information, is not the information itself, but adverts and tracking shit. What's next year, 98%, 99.9%?
At what point will this model fail. Or, already has, as apparently malware is needed to boost the income.

Adblockers will be seen as the solution to evade this malware, more decline, more adverts, repeat ad nauseam, till it crashes. I can hear the front of the bus crushable wrinkle already. Listen carefully, you can hear it too.........

Isn't all advertising malware

[Anonymous Coward]

crap that takes system resources without permission, sounds like malware AND advertising to me

Re:Isn't all advertising malware

[_Sharp'r_]

So, according to this article, using advertising with Malware is a new approach?

Have they never heard the term, adware? What do they think adware does?

Whenever someone clicks on one of these adverts

[Anonymous Coward]

Meaning that there really *are* people that actually click on adverts?
They deserve what they get, then

Oh noes

[JustAnotherOldGuy]

"A Chinese Ad Firm Is Using Malware to Get More Clicks"

An ad company breaking the rules and using malware to increase profits? Lol, say it isn't so!

And they wonder why we use ad blockers....

Re: Please port malware to Linux

[youngone]

Umm, Linux IS malware by most defintions...etc

Which humourless idiot modded this -1. It's funny as hell.

Chinese cheat

[mi]

Chinese cheat. Period. Ex-Soviets and formerly-Cubans do too. No, this is not "racism" — the trait is not genetic, it is cultural. When you are dealing with the abusive State for most of the things, cheating is the only way to have a reasonably comfortable life. It is not considered wrong or dishonest — everybody does it.

Western world weren't cheating quite so much not because they are racially superior somehow, but simply because they don't interact with the State as much as victims of Socialism/Communism are forced to.

It is coming to America as well — and not just with the immigrants, but with the "natives" too, because the State (comparably abusive in all countries) is increasingly in charge of various aspects of our lives. From tax-evaders, to highway speeders swearing they "didn't do it", to "workman's compensation" false claims, to Medicare fraud — cheating the government and the fugly bureaucrats who represent it is Ok.

And then you forget to stop and cheat even the business partners... Consider it PTSD — with Socialism being the trauma.

Re:Chinese cheat

[jandersen]

Chinese cheat. Period. Ex-Soviets and formerly-Cubans do too. No, this is not "racism" â" the trait is not genetic, it is cultural. When you are dealing with the abusive State for most of the things, cheating is the only way to have a reasonably comfortable life. It is not considered wrong or dishonest â" everybody does it.

Western world weren't cheating quite so much not because they are racially superior somehow, but simply because they don't interact with the State as much as victims of Socialism/Communism are forced to.

You've got yourself some "interesting" theories there. But first about "racism": the term was never used in a stricly genetic sense; not only is skin colour a very superficial criterium with very little genetic background, but right from the beginning, the term "race" was used to label "them" as different from "us" - hence the British Race, the Spanish Race, the Jewish Race etc. Its influence even showed up in terms like "breeds" - working class people of the so-called "British Race" were a different breed from aristocrats, obviously. In modern times, racism has come to signify any unfair discrimination based on superficial differences - hence it is reasonable to talk about racism in the loose sense, in this case. The fact that you defend youself against being called a racist shows that you are aware of this. People are not somehow worse morally or of lower intelligence or whatever, simply because they are from a different cultural or political background; it might even be that you are the one lacking something - a sensible person would always take that into consideration.

As for what is the reason why there appears to be more companies from Russia or China that engage in dubious practices, it may be worth looking back at the history of America or UK. The Wild West was lousy with quacks and other fraudsters, until the dreaded state stepped in and forced some rules on them. You will find the same pattern in UK and the rest of Europe as well: the unregulated, free market encourages cheating, fraud and ruthless exploitation, and the state is force to step in to regulate things to the benefit of the common people. What has happened in both China and Russia is the same thing: the state loosened its control, and fraudsters popped up in great numbers; now the state needs to go and exert some form of control again. So, even if you think Communism is a bad thing in itself, its failings have less to do with the state control and more to do with poor administration and inability to build trust between individuals and the state; not so different from the way it is in the US.

Re:Chinese cheat

[mi]

But first about "racism": the term was never used in a stricly genetic sense

Ah, once again, Illiberal "Progressives" redefine terms to suit their agenda...

hence the British Race, the Spanish Race, the Jewish Race

Sorry, would not fly. The dictionary says (emphasis mine):

race: people who are believed to belong to the same genetic stock;

The fact that you defend youself against being called a racist shows that you are aware of this

I am aware of folks like yourself, who would — incorrectly — claim "racism", where there is not any.

worth looking back at the history of America or UK. The Wild West was lousy with quacks and other fraudsters

Citations?

until the dreaded state stepped in and forced some rules on them

I'm yet to see evidence, the state's rules are helping.

the unregulated, free market encourages cheating, fraud and ruthless exploitation

You promise, I'll find evidence of this, but you aren't offering any such evidence yourself. The burden of proof is on you — put up or shut up.

even if you think Communism is a bad thing in itself, its failings have less to do with the state control and more to do with poor administration and inability to build trust between individuals and the state

Despite several attempts — by people of various racial, cultural, and religious backgrounds, Communism has failed spectacularly. Despite killing over 90 million people in 20th century and left the destitute survivors with neither human rights nor material wealth. It really is a "bad thing in itself", whatever spin you may attempt to put on it as you not-so-subtly attempt to justify "trying again".

Re:Chinese cheat

[MrKaos]

And then you forget to stop and cheat even the business partners... Consider it PTSD — with Socialism being the trauma.

All your isms have failed. None of the economic systems that have existed have ever delivered us from corruption that exists, so the structural issues that the world faces so that we can *evolve* are never addressed. That because the established powers beget more power and why would they want the status quo challenged?

Corruption exists to supplement power.