Researchers from cybersecurity vendor Check Point have discovered a new kind of mobile malware targeting Android devices.
Called “Agent Smith,” the malware has been found to exploit known vulnerabilities in Android to replace legitimate installed apps on the device with malicious versions without requiring users’ intervention.
Based on their research, Agent Smith has been found to leverage its broad access privileges to display fraudulent ads.
Primarily targeting devices in India, and other Asian countries like Pakistan and Bangladesh, the malware has surrepitiously affected around 25 million unique devices, with each victim suffering “roughly 112 swaps of innocent applications.”
