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Fake Malware-Filled Super Mario Run Apps Take Advantage of Android Absence (silicon.co.uk)

Posted by BeauHD on from the buyer-beware dept.

Mickeycaskill writes: Nintendo's Super Mario Run was downloaded more than 40 million times in the first four days it was available. But an Android version has yet to materialize. An official release is on the way, but cybercriminals are taking advantage of this vacuum by spreading malicious apps masquerading as the real thing. The "Android Marcher trojan" appears as a fake landing page advertising the release of the game, where it can be downloaded onto users' devices. It then targets financial and banking apps and can modify your settings and read your contacts. The popularity of Pokemon GO last year saw similar scams emerge as users waited for the game.

19 of 34 comments (clear)

  1. English!!! by nwaack · · Score: 1

    "Fake Malware-Filled Super Mario Run Apps Take" - my brain just exploded trying to understand the title of this story...

  2. Run, Android, Run!!! by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Another day, another piece of Android Malware...

    1. Re:Run, Android, Run!!! by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 2

      ...which you have to side-load to get infected. Sorry, I have a hard time getting worked up about idiots who intentionally disable safeties and then proceed to digitally shoot themselves in the foot.

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
    2. Re:Run, Android, Run!!! by Karlt1 · · Score: 2

      It's kind of funny that Android users say that the great thing about Android is that you're not stuck with just one manufacturer and one App Store but if you want security updates and not get infected by malware you're stuck with one manufacturer (Google) and one app store. (Google Play).

      But on the other hand, Android is based on Linux, why shouldn't you be able to download apps from anywhere and the OS be able to sandbox it?

    3. Re:Run, Android, Run!!! by hairyfeet · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Hell its been the same with Windows for years, if you have a decent AV and let the OS and programs auto-update? You really don't have anything to worry about. Now all the infections I see at the shop are all social engineering, stuff like "You want teh hot sluts for free? Just run "Iz_Not_Viruz_Iz_Chatroom.exe" and talk to hot skanks now!" or the ever classic Facebook chat bug, where someone they know pops up a "Hey you have got to see this, just open "Iz_Not_Page_Of_Malware_Iz_Pupies.html" this is soooo adorable!"....sigh.

      The sad part is unless you do like Chromebooks and just take away the rights of the user? There is really nothing an OS can do against the dancing bunny problem because you have the user actively working against the security because they want to see the bunny. I have got to see this firsthand, the only person I have ever thrown out of my shop was a customer that wanted to buy a desktop and install Limewire on it. I told him "Look Limewire doesn't exist, it was shut down by the FBI years ago, if you want a P2P program I can install one but there is no more Limewire" and told him that any copies he found of Limewire online would be malware....so what does he do? Takes his brand new PC home, uninstalls the AV when it tries to stop him and promptly installs malware that has a Limewire icon and then expects me to clean it for free! When I threw him out of the shop he was screaming "It says right there its Limewire, you make it work!"....nothing any OS can do if the user is working for the bad guys.

      --
      ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
    4. Re:Run, Android, Run!!! by Dutch+Gun · · Score: 1

      Never underestimate the ability of a fool to retain his ignorance.

      --
      Irony: Agile development has too much intertia to be abandoned now.
    5. Re:Run, Android, Run!!! by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      It's kind of funny that Android users say that the great thing about Android is that you're not stuck with just one manufacturer and one App Store but if you want security updates and not get infected by malware you're stuck with one manufacturer (Google) and one app store. (Google Play).

      But on the other hand, Android is based on Linux, why shouldn't you be able to download apps from anywhere and the OS be able to sandbox it?

      I currently can access three different App stores without sideloading or disabling protections. And security updates is a completely different issue that has nothing at all to do with sideloading, since you don't have to root/crack your OS or install custom ROMs to do it like you do with an Apple product.

      WRONG! Please try to keep up!

      I don't know how many times I have to repeat this: Apple has actually ALLOWED "Side-Loading" on iOS WITHOUT JAILBREAKING since iOS 8.

      Here's how you do it.

      And you don't even have to use XCode (and from Windows and Linux computers). Just use the handy Cydia Impactor.

      And here's a list of F/OSS iOS Apps on github that can be Sideloaded.

      And here's an example of a NON F/OSS App that can be Sideloaded with Impactor.

  3. Simple... by wbr1 · · Score: 2
    Allow apps from unknown sources = NO

    This is the default on most devices (except cheap chinese stuff with backdoors)

    The only reason it should be on is if you are a developer, or smart enough to use an alternative app store that may not be safe. Others use it to get haked versions of games/apps and whatever herpes comes with that.

    --
    Silence is a state of mime.
    1. Re:Simple... by Luthair · · Score: 1

      Its not that simple, in all the app stores there are scum trying to trick people into installing their applications. Search for popular applications and you'll see programs with similar icons and names because they're "guides" etc.

    2. Re:Simple... by GuB-42 · · Score: 1

      Sure but these are not malware. These are, I think, legitimate guides.
      They are an excuse for bombarding you with ads but it is not forbidden by the Play Store rules and while annoying, they most likely won't do much harm.
      By comparison, the apps mentioned in the article are trojans stealing CC numbers, and just by the way they work, they break several rules of the Play Store and probably wouldn't even pass Google's automatic defenses.

    3. Re:Simple... by tlhIngan · · Score: 1

      Allow apps from unknown sources = NO

      This is the default on most devices (except cheap chinese stuff with backdoors)

      The only reason it should be on is if you are a developer, or smart enough to use an alternative app store that may not be safe. Others use it to get haked versions of games/apps and whatever herpes comes with that.

      And negate one of the biggest advantages of Android over iOS.

      The problem is Android doesn't allow finer control of that. Because if you want to use Amazon's app store, F-Droid or Humble Bundle apps, you have to allow unknown sources.

      There's no way to open it for those trustable app stores and disallow it for other app stores.

    4. Re:Simple... by markdavis · · Score: 1

      >"There's no way to open it for those trustable app stores and disallow it for other app stores."

      Sure there is, it is called self-control! "Regular" people shouldn't be adding third party repos anymore than just downloading random apps from off the web and installing them. And those who do enable outside sources should know the difference between potential malware and not. Although I agree it would be nice to have more options and settings, including ones that would help in this case.

    5. Re:Simple... by Luthair · · Score: 1

      i'm not sure of the current state of things, but there has been malware in the stores in the past.

    6. Re:Simple... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      And when you click on an APK Android helpfully takes you directly to the settings page where you can change that niggling little security feature that's getting in your way.

      UAC didn't fix Windows, why should this fix android?

  4. Stupid hidden apps by rar · · Score: 4, Insightful

    One reason this type of scam works well (though it is not specifically relevant to the Super Mario case since it is not yet released for Android at all) is the horrendous practice to completely hide apps not available in your region / compatible with your device. This makes any similarly named app show up as the "only option", and will easily fool people.

    You know what, Google? If I am looking for an app, I rather you show me that it exists but cannot be installed, rather than have me dig through tons of search results in vain.

    --
    Open Materials Database
    1. Re:Stupid hidden apps by s.petry · · Score: 2

      The vendor is to blame for this much more than Google. They could have set up a landing page which said not available yet, and even given a release date. That said, I'm not big on blaming the vendor for this type of thing either. People will download and install things without doing any validation and/or testing, and it happens all the time.

      Should we have constant PSAs on TV, Radio, Youtube, etc..? Or perhaps consider the wisdom of Bill Engval "You can't fix stupid!"

      --

      -The wise argue that there are few absolutes, the fool argues that there are no probabilities.

    2. Re:Stupid hidden apps by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Why should the vendor create landing pages in the Play Store? Hell I'm not sure they can. This is definitely the fault of Google's design.

  5. Of course... by Fire_Wraith · · Score: 3, Funny

    "Thank you for downloading me, Mario, but your Princess is in another download at malware.cybercrime.su."

  6. Just sell it by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

    This sounds like an idiot super villain who invents robots, and, instead of selling them for billions, uses them to rob a bank instead.

    --
    (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.