Perhaps a little late in arriving is a warning by CERT-In (Computer Emergency Response Team of India) against fake Pokemon GP apps plaguing the Internet. The malicious applications are said to be all over the web on third-party sites, making an easy meal of users eager to get the game if they’re in a region where it’s not out yet.
CERT-In has named and shamed Pokemon GO Ultimate, Guide & Cheats for Pokemon Go and Install Pokemongo as fake Pokemon GO apps which insert malware into the victim’s phone or generate ad revenue for shady websites by hijacking the user’s data connection. This is not the first time we’re hearing about these malicious applications.
More that a two weeks ago, TechCrunch posted some key details related to the aforementioned spurious apps. It made the headlines because all three somehow managed to get into the Google Play Store until ESET Mobile Security ratted them out. Additionally, the popularity of Nintendo’s Pokemon GO means people who live in countries like India where it’s not officially available, could be easily tempted to unknowingly download badware.
Pokemon GO Ultimate works by locking the victim’s screen and forcing them to reboot by pulling out the battery of their smartphone or accessing Android Device Manager. Once the handset has been restarted, the app keeps running in the background and clicking on certain advertisements without the user’s knowledge. The solution is to manually delete the malware from the Settings menu. The other two fake Pokemon GO applications are scareware.
Also see: Pokémon GO now available in limited markets
In other words, once they gain entry into a phone, they scare the victim into thinking they have viruses on their device while providing bogus tips on how to deal with the issue. According to Proofpoint, another badware called DroidJack was also discovered to have been uploaded onto a file repository service. It has apparently not affected regular consumers yet. But it has the power to remotely access and control the user’s smartphone.
You can protect yourself from malware such as these by ensuring that an app you download does not ask for unnecessary permissions such as calling another number on your phonebook, switching networks automatically and so on. Also keep an eye out for unnecessary spikes in your monthly mobile bills. APK Mirror hosts a version of Pokemon GO that you can side-load, just in case you’re too impatient to wait for Nintendo to launch it.