The Czech Republic is the epicenter of new malware! Every third European detection comes from here

Fake Chrome attacks Androids across Europe

If you have recently downloaded the Chrome browser from anywhere other than the official Google Play store, you might have a problem. According to the latest analysis by ESET, the malicious code Agent.MUY is masquerading as the popular browser and has been leading the chart of the most widespread Android threats in Europe for the second consecutive month.

Agent.MUY functions as a so-called dropper – imagine it as a Trojan horse that smuggles other malicious codes into your phone. Its main targets are Spain and Portugal, while it has so far avoided the Czech Republic. But that doesn’t mean we can breathe a sigh of relief.

“Cyber threats on the Android platform are developing quite dynamically, and what applies one month might be a bit different the next,” warns Martin Jirkal from ESET. And he’s right – just look at the other items on July’s ranking.

The Czech Republic occupied by Andreed adware – every third European detection was here

While Agent.MUY is rampant in Southern Europe, in the Czech Republic, we have our own problem called Andreed. This adware primarily appeared in July in fake versions of the game GTA: Chinatown Wars and in the My Little Pony coloring book app. An incredible 30 percent of all European detections were attributed to the Czech Republic.

Many users underestimate adware – after all, it’s “just” annoying ads. But the reality is more insidious. Andreed acts as a gateway for other malware, including spyware, which is certainly not as innocent. Besides the Czech Republic, it was also active in Germany, Poland, and Hungary in July.

Clicker.OZ targets advertising agencies

The third most widespread threat is Clicker.OZ, which specifically targets employees of advertising agencies. Attackers disguise it as a useful codec pack for working with video and music, but in reality, it abuses infected devices to click on ads.

Furthermore, the malicious code can do more than just annoy with ads – it can control Wi-Fi connections and send screenshots from your phone to attackers. It was most prevalent in the United Kingdom and Germany but also affected the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

How to defend yourself? Basic rules still apply

Protection against these threats is not rocket science. Download applications exclusively from the official Google Play store, avoid suspiciously advantageous offers of free premium games, and do not install applications from internet forums or unknown sources.

If you already suspect you’ve downloaded something malicious, a quality antivirus is still the best safeguard. According to ESET, this year’s holidays were unusually busy from the perspective of cyber threats, and August will likely be no different.

Have you encountered any of the above threats recently?

Source: press release