Apple's App Store by Wandera Threat Lab discovered more than a dozen iOS apps infected with the 'Clicker' Trojan malware. As malware goes, this variant isn't especially dangerous to those who wind up infected with it, but it's still problematic.
A spokesman for Wandera had this to say about the recent discovery:
"Clicker trojans generate revenue for the attacker on a pay-per-click basis by inflating website traffic. They can also be used to drain the budget of a competitor by artificially inflating the balance owed to the ad network."
All of the infected apps come from AppAspect Technologies, Pvt. Ltd. The company is based in India with over fifty different apps available on Apple's App Store. And, more than two dozen available on Google's Play Store. The malicious code was possibly injected into these apps unintentionally by making use of a compromised third-party framework or an intentional decision.
Again, from the researchers at Wandera:
"This discovery is the latest in a series of bad apps [being surfaced] on an official mobile app store and another proof point that malware does impact the iOS ecosystem. Mobile malware is one of the less frequently seen threats, but we see it used more in targeted attack scenarios."
The Wandera researchers concluded their report with a recommendation. All mobile users should use mobile security solutions to keep malicious apps from communicating with their command and control servers. Wandera's research recommendations are good advice, and Clicker Trojan malware types of threats are certainly something the public should be advised.
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