Latest news with #smartphones
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
More than 250 malicious apps are spreading info-stealing malware on Android and iOS — delete these right now
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. You can never be too careful when downloading a new app to your iPhone or Android phone as what may look harmless on the surface could actually be a malicious app designed to infect your device with malware. Case in point, the mobile security firm Zimperium has discovered a new malware campaign which targets users of the best iPhones and best Android phones with over 250 malicious apps spread via 80+ malicious domains. What sets this particular campaign apart is that in addition to posing as utility apps, many of the malicious apps used in it also posed as dating apps along with file sharing ones and car service platforms. Once installed on a vulnerable smartphone, the apps were then used to download a dangerous info-stealing malware capable of stealing all sorts of sensitive personal data including a victim's contacts and even their photos. The hackers behind this campaign then took things a step further, threatening to extort victims by leaking their private info and photos to their contacts or online if their demands weren't met. Here's everything you need to know about this new malware campaign along with some tips and tricks to help you stay safe from malicious apps and the dangers they pose to both your data and your devices. Delete these apps right now Before we go into the campaign itself and how it worked, you should first check your phone to make sure that you haven't installed any of the apps below. If you have, you're going to want to manually delete them from your devices: Pilatess Mfile Zcloud Haikiss WhaleS KingCloud Acloud Cloud-k AceCloud Lovelush LOVESS Slovehome Erotic-s BKing I've highlighted just a few of them above but you can see the full list here (Google Sheet). If you take a closer look at the names of these malicious apps, you'll notice that many of them are in Korean which makes sense given that this campaign mainly targeted users in South Korea. Given that anyone could have shared a link to one of the malicious domains hosting these fake apps, iPhone and Android users worldwide could be impacted. Either way, it's always a good idea to take a closer look at all of the apps you have installed and to delete any you don't recognize or haven't used in a while. From phishing sites to fake apps In a blog post detailing the inner workings of this new campaign dubbed SarangTrap, Zimperium's security researchers explain that potential victims are first tricked into visiting carefully crafted phishing sites. These are designed to impersonate popular brands and app stores which not only adds legitimacy to the campaign but may also entice users to download these bad apps. Once installed, these fake apps lure users in with slick user interfaces while requesting access to loads of unnecessary permissions with the caveat that they won't work without them. To make these apps seem more exclusive, especially the ones posing as dating apps, users are also prompted to enter a valid invitation code. After being entered, this invitation code is sent to a hacker-controlled server for validation after which, these malicious apps then request access to the sensitive permissions they'll use to infect a device with malware and steal personal info from it. Besides acting as a lure, this process allows the malware to remain undetected by the best antivirus software and other security solutions designed to stop malicious activity from bad apps. With the necessary permissions in hand, these fake apps reveal their true nature. While they look slick and polished at first, they contain no dating features or other functionality at all. Instead, they're just a facade used by the hackers behind this campaign to gain a foothold on vulnerable devices from which they can then steal all sorts of valuable sensitive data. When it comes to the types of data the malware spread by these fake apps is able to steal, it can download a victim's phone number and device identifiers along with all their photos and text messages. With all this info, the hackers behind this campaign can easily extort victims, though they could also bundle it altogether and sell this data to other cybercriminals to use in their own attacks. Surprisingly, in addition to malicious Android apps, this campaign also uses a deceptive mobile configuration profile to go after iPhone users. By installing this profile on an iPhone, the hackers are able to steal much of the same sensitive data on iOS including a victim's contacts and photos. How to stay safe from malicious apps Just like with new software on your computer, you always need to be careful when installing new apps on your phone, especially as we now have so much personal and even financial info on our mobile devices. For starters, you want to avoid sideloading apps or installing apps from unknown sources or websites. If you're taken to a site trying to get you to install an app instead of to an official app store like the Google Play Store or Apple's App Store, this is a major red flag and a great indication that you should avoid this particular app altogether. When you install a new app on your devices, you want to pay close attention to the types of permissions it requests the first time that you open it. While it makes sense for a messaging app to request access to your text messages, it definitely doesn't when a dating app does so. If any permissions seem odd or unnecessary, this is another red flag that something could be off with a particular app. Besides being extra careful when installing new apps, I highly recommend that you limit the number of apps on your phone overall. Having a lot of apps installed makes it difficult to find malicious ones and even good apps can go bad when injected with malicious code. The fewer apps you have, the less likely it is that one of them will be malicious or turn malicious later. If you're using an Android phone, you want to make sure that Google Play Protect is enabled as this pre-installed security solution scans all of the new apps you download as well as all of your existing apps for malware. For extra protection though, you may also want to consider running one of the best Android antivirus apps alongside it. While there isn't an iPhone equivalent of these apps due to Apple's own restrictions, the best Mac antivirus software from Intego can scan your iPhone or iPad for malware when plugged into your Mac via a USB cable. Given that downloading and installing a malicious app even accidentally can have very serious consequences, you may also want to invest in one of the best identity theft protection services. They can help you get your identity back after having it stolen as well as compensate you for any funds lost to fraud or a cyberattack. Malicious apps are the easiest way for hackers to establish a foothold on your devices and gain leverage over you and your data which is why they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. This is why it's up to you to be proactive as well as careful when it comes to which apps you download and where you download them from. Follow Tom's Guide on Google News to get our up-to-date news, how-tos, and reviews in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button. More from Tom's Guide Your Ring cameras weren't hacked over the weekend — here's what actually happened 12 signs your phone has been hacked — and what to do next This Android malware poses as real apps to take you to dangerous sites and flood your phone with spam
Android Authority
2 hours ago
- Android Authority
It's time to stop defending slow charging speeds
Robert Triggs / Android Authority We're fast approaching the launch of the new Pixel 10 series and iPhone 17, and the one thing I'm really dreading is another year of sluggish charging speeds. While Google's Pro XL model has gradually increased its charging power to a level close to Samsung's Ultra, the smaller, more popular flagship phones in the US are stuck charging below 25W. Compared to their fast-charging Chinese counterparts, such as the 80W OnePlus 13, these supposed flagships feel positively archaic. If you want some numbers, the Galaxy S25 takes 77 minutes to fill up, the Pixel 9 takes 85 minutes, and the iPhone 16 takes agonising 107 minutes — the OnePlus 13 does it in 35. Even 30 minutes on the plug will leave you with less than 60% battery on all these phones. Of course, those are smaller models in their respective series, yet even the more powerful 37W Pixel 9 Pro XL takes 77 minutes to full. This can all feel agonisingly slow — especially when you're in a hurry. When you're in a hurry, fast charging is an indispensible tool. Of course, if you predominantly charge your phone overnight, then whether it takes over an hour or just 30 minutes to fully charge makes absolutely no difference. However, there usually comes a time in all of our lives when we need a far quicker top-up. I often forget to charge my phone overnight, leaving me with just a few minutes to spare before dashing out the door. I've also lost count of the number of times I've quickly grabbed an outlet before boarding a long flight. It's times like these when fast charging becomes indispensable, with just five or ten minutes on the plug enough to give you 25-40% of a full charge. Once you have it, you can't live without it, and I want all my future phones to be just as capable of getting me through these touch-and-go moments. Fast charging without compromise Robert Triggs / Android Authority Ah, but doesn't fast charging kill long-term battery health? Well, there's some truth to this; high currents and hot temperatures can accelerate battery degradation, causing a cell to lose its charge-carrying capacity faster than it would under ideal charging conditions. However, this isn't a terminal problem. High current charging is mainly limited to early periods in the charging cycle, when voltage stress is lower. We've tracked countless models where advertised 100W rates apply for barely a minute, and modern phones ease off the power once temperatures spike. Likewise, limiting high power levels to short periods prevents excess heat. Intelligent settings can give us fast charging and long-term battery health. In reality, today's high-power phones tend only to make a slight difference to long-term battery health—certainly not so drastic that it cuts its lifespan by half. Still, this trade-off can make fast charging a tough choice for well-informed consumers, but it doesn't have to be that way. You can always charge speedy phones with slower plugs, but some modern smartphones come with built-in fast charging toggles. Samsung has included these options in its settings menu for years, and you'll find a similar smart charging option on the latest OnePlus and OPPO models. Ideally, far more phones should offer users fine-grained control over their charging preferences, in addition to the now commonplace 80% charging limit. Robert Triggs / Android Authority But perhaps the best idea I've seen recently is HONOR's boost notification, which pops up when you put your phone on charge. The idea is elegantly simple: prompt the user to press for higher power levels and less regard for heat, ensuring faster charge times if they're in a hurry. Or do nothing and default to slower, more battery-friendly power levels if you're charging at your desk or overnight. Between configuration settings and notification prompts, it's clear that we can have the best of everything without any trade-offs: Longevity-conscious settings for desk and overnight charging with quick top-ups for those times we urgently need more juice. These features are already here, at least in part, on some top-tier smartphones. Now it's time for brands to bring everything together and make them mainstream. That means you Apple, Google, and Samsung. Really, there's no excuse for sluggish charging other than cutting costs on lower-end batteries and budget charging circuits, neither of which is forgivable in phones starting at $800. It's time to stop making excuses.
GSM Arena
10 hours ago
- GSM Arena
Entire Pixel 10 series' design revealed through the Google Play Store Comments
Google Pixel 10 Pro and Pixel 10 Pro XL now shown in all colors too
GSM Arena
10 hours ago
- GSM Arena
Entire Pixel 10 series' design revealed through the Google Play Store
Google is hosting an event on August 20 to unveil the Pixel 10 series, which reportedly includes the Pixel 10, Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold. The Mountain View-based internet search giant recently gave us our first official look at the Pixel 10 Pro, and now, the entire Pixel 10 lineup has been revealed through the Google Play Store. While "poking around" the Google Play Store app on Android, the folks at Android Authority managed to uncover a banner showing the Pixel 10 series. The Pixel 10 is shown in Indigo color, while the Pixel 10 Pro, Pixel 10 Pro XL, and Pixel 10 Pro Fold are shown in the Moonstone shade. The banner also shows a promotion, offering $50 off from Google until October 13, 2025. The offer will likely be active from August 20, following the conclusion of the launch event. Google is yet to show us the entire Pixel 10 lineup in all its colors, but thanks to leaked renders, we know what these smartphones will look like in different shades. You can check the Pixel 10's leaked renders here, the Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL's renders here, and the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's renders here. Source
GSM Arena
16 hours ago
- Business
- GSM Arena
Galaxy S25 Edge teardown video compares it to the S25 Plus bit by bit Comments
Forecast: Samsung to stay #1 in foldables, but its lead over Huawei will shrink significantly
