Android Malware 'Googligan' Causes Biggest Google Account Hack

By Dane Lorica, | December 02, 2016

 Googlian has been spreading quickly since the beginning of November. (Portal GDA / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

Googlian has been spreading quickly since the beginning of November. (Portal GDA / CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

The latest Android malware variant "Googlian" is causing massive scare to users after it was found to be behind the biggest Google account theft in the history so far. Over 1.3 million devices have reportedly been infected by the malware since August.

The infected smart devices were left vulnerable to hackers. The main goal of the malware is not to hack essential data in Google Docs or Gmail but to launch a fraudulent advertisement using scheme. This becomes possible through a forced app download once the intrusion occurs. Hackers can reportedly earn as big as $320,000 monthly with the corrupt ads.

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The malware originates from an infected website asking users to download a third-party application. Infected websites include porn sites or malicious app stores that convince users to make downloads before getting access to web contents.

Googlian has been spreading quickly since the beginning of November. An average of 13,000 affected devices have been reported daily based on Check Point's research group, an Israel-base cybersecurity company. More than 30,000 apps are reportedly being downloaded by affected devices daily. The firm revealed 86 apps such as Light Browser, Wifi Master, and Flashlight Free, which have the infection.

Hackers use Towelroot or VROOT on Android 4 and 5 devices to take control. The targeted operating systems include Jelly Bean, Kit Kat, and Lollipop which are present on 74 percent of the total Android-powered devices at present. This is equivalent to 1.03 billion units.

Michael Shaulov of Check Point said that "they were able to get to the lowest level of the Android operating system where there are no limitations on what the malware can do, and they went after these account files."

Reports said that 40 percent of the infected devices are in Asia followed by 19 percent in America and 12 percent in Europe. Shaulov said that "it's probably the biggest ever security breach of Google accounts."

"Googlian" is a member of the "Ghost Push" family of malware which has been monitored by the internet giant Google for about two years.


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