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1. Best ransomware protection for android for android#
2. Best ransomware protection for android android#
3. Best ransomware protection for android code#

The malware retrieves the device’s system language and network operator in order to choose the right UI to display.

Best ransomware protection for android android#

There was also the WannaCry-mimicking Android ransomware which preferred payment via Alipay, WeChat, and QQ, suggesting it primarily targeted Chinese users.įigure 5: Simple Locker’s ransom note, written in RussianĪnother case in point: the crypto-ransomware we found in United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. It’s fair to assume that this malware targeted Android device users in that country. The Simple Locker we detected in May 2014, for instance, was written in Russian, but the ransom it demanded was in hryvnias, Ukraine’s currency.

Best ransomware protection for android code#

Based on decompiled code and sandboxing analyses, we saw how these threats are becoming more specific with their targets. They even have custom user interfaces (UI), especially when they’re distributed in Middle Eastern countries.

Crypto-ransomware have a more global reach but are also pinpointing targets. A typical package name would be ‘.’ And since it’s associated with a legitimate app, it can dissuade users from uninstalling them.įigure 4: Properties of some mobile crypto-ransomware we analyzed We’ve found that package names for pre-installed apps such as Email, Calendar, and browsers, have been spoofed by many mobile crypto-ransomware. It’s a way to distinguish an app from others and even from versions of itself (i.e., when it’s upgrading/updating). Android apps consist of packages, and they must include a main package with a specified name. Note though that Flash hasn’t been available on Android for at least five years now. The label and icon match their infection vectors: gaming and video-watching apps. Most use ‘Adobe Flash Player,’ ‘Video Player,’ and many popular gaming apps’ names as their labels, and Android’s default icon or Adobe Flash Player’s for icons. In fact, we even saw how one malware author fixed a bug in his ransomware last May, updating an argument judgment related to how the ransom note is displayed and where to retrieve it.įigure 3: A ransom note-related bug fixed in a sample we sourced in May, 2017 (app signed time 23:15:04)Īndroid Crypto-Ransomware and Its Evolutionīut what exactly makes up an Android crypto-ransomware? Since the first crypto-ransomware turned up in May 2014, we have monitored and analyzed file-encrypting Android mobile malware and found several properties common among them. Others were actively pushed and updated to elude detection. We’ve since seen similar threats-and some variants, which are just repackaged versions of the original malware-reappear in third-party app marketplaces. Its evolution into crypto-ransomware came in May 2014 in the form of Simple Locker (ANDROIDOS_SIMPLOCK.AXM), which was capable of encrypting files stored on the mobile device and its SD card. It locked the device’s screen and overlaid it with a ransom note.

So how is Android crypto-ransomware shaping up so far? What is its outlook in the mobile threat landscape?įigure 2: Typical crypto-ransomware behaviorįrom screen lockers to file-encrypting malwareĪ typical Android mobile ransomware was fairly simple back then. And now that SLocker’s decompiled source code was reportedly leaked on GitHub, we’re bound to see more of these threats.

Some of these include SLocker copycatting WannaCry and abusing legitimate social networks, and LeakerLocker threatening to expose victims’ personal data. The recent spate of screen-locking and file-encrypting malware targeting Android devices also underscores the increasing prevalence of mobile ransomware.

Best ransomware protection for android for android#

We already had over 235,000 detections for Android mobile ransomware in the first half of 2017 alone-that’s 181% of detections for all of 2016.įigure 1: Comparison of Android mobile ransomware detections during the first and second quarters of 20 The variants we detected and analyzed during the fourth quarter of last year were thrice as many compared to the same period in 2015.

Take for instance mobile ransomware on the Android platform. While it seems they’re not as mature as their desktop counterparts, what with the likes of WannaCry and Petya, the increasing usage of mobile devices, particularly by businesses, will naturally draw more cybercriminal attention to this type of threat. The mobile threat landscape isn’t just rife with information stealers and rooting malware.