Around 36.5 million Android devices have been infected with ad-clicker malware (Judy). It’s probably the biggest malware attack found on Google Play, according to Check Point.
The malware campaign on Google Play (the official app store) has been discovered by Check Point security researchers. The malware, called “Judy”, is an auto-clicking adware which was found on 41 apps developed by a Korean company.
Judy is an adware that is generated fraudulent clicks to gain revenue. It generates false clicks on affected devices. Almost 41 apps are spreading this malware and ‘Judy the chef’ is the common character among them. So, it is called Judy.
The malware uses infected devices to generate large amounts of false clicks on advertisements, generating profits for the criminals behind it. Judy relies on the communication with its Command and Control server (C&C) for its operation. The malicious apps are real legal games, but in the background, they act as a bridge to connect the user’s device to the adware server.
Checkpoint security team said, Google has removed the malicious apps and updated the Bouncer security, which is a mechanism to scan the apps. But just to be sure, you can check the list of apps published by the security research firm.