[NJTechDiv] [Fwd: [Electronics-Talk] FW: [GTTsupport] iPhone users need to delete these Apple App Store apps right NOW]

Sat Nov 2 00:46:53 UTC 2019

Hello I am Laurie Neidhart and I just wanted to thank you I don’t have any of these apps but thank you for this wonderful message to protect us I really appreciate it

Sent from my iPod

> On Oct 28, 2019, at 8:45 AM, Tracy Carcione via NJTechDiv <njtechdiv at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I have an AroundMe app on my phone, but I think it's different than this
> one.  Have to check.
> Any, just in case anyone else has some of these ...
> Tracy
> 
> ---------------------------- Original Message ----------------------------
> Subject: [Electronics-Talk] FW: [GTTsupport] iPhone users need to delete
> these Apple App Store apps right NOW
> From:    "Eric Calhoun via Electronics-Talk" <electronics-talk at nfbnet.org>
> Date:    Mon, October 28, 2019 1:25 am
> To:      electronics-talk at nfbnet.org
> Cc:      "Eric Calhoun" <eric at pmpmail.com>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
> Oh no!  Say what?
> 
> 
> Original Message:
> From: "Albert Ruel" <albert.gtt at ccbnational.net>
> To: GTTsupport at groups.io
> Subject: [GTTsupport] iPhone users need to delete these Apple App Store
> apps right NOW
> Date:
> Sun, 27 Oct 2019 21:48:01 -0700
> 
> iPhone users need to delete these Apple App Store apps right NOW
> Author: Aaron Brown
> Date Written: Oct 26, 2019 at 5:00 PM
> Date Saved: 10/27/19, 7:52 PM
> Source:
> https://www.express.co.uk/life-style/science-technology/1196281/iPhone-Delete
> -These-Apps
> APPLE has confirmed that 17 applications have been removed from the App
> Store after they were found to be secretly committing fraud behind users'
> backs to quietly collect advertising revenue from their smartphones. Here's
> which apps were called out, so you can immediately delete any that are
> still sitting pretty on your iOS home screen.
> 
> If you've got any of these apps on your iPhone, you really need to do
> something about it (Image: GETTY)
> If you've got any of these 17 apps saved on your iPhone, you'd best
> delete them as soon as possible.
> Apple has confirmed the applications have now been wiped from its App
> Store, but you'll still need to manually delete them from your smartphone
> if you'd already downloaded and run the software. The apps, which were all
> created by a single developer, were maliciously collecting advertising
> revenue behind iPhone owners' backs.
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> Fortunately, mobile security firm Wandera was able to sniff-out the
> malicious software. For users, it would be almost impossible to tell that
> anything was wrong, since the apps did exactly what they promised on the
> tin... except that they were secretly fraud in the background on your
> iPhone too.
> "The objective of most clicker trojans is to 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," the security firm explains.
> Although the apps weren't designed to cause any direct harm to users or
> their smartphones themselves, the nefarious behind-the-scenes activity
> would drain mobile data faster than usual, so if you're not on an unlimited
> 4G plan - it would cost you each month. Secondly, the activity from the
> apps could also cost you precious battery life, as well as slowing down
> your phone, since it's having to process all the extra ad requests.
> So, deleting the software could see a drop in any additional monthly
> charges from your network provider, faster performance, as well as a few
> more hours battery life, which are all pretty substantial benefits.
> Wandera claims these iPhone apps were able to Apple's stringent review
> process since the malicious code was never inside the apps themselves -
> therefore there was nothing for Apple to detect when scanning them before
> allowing them onto the App Store. Instead, the apps would receive
> instructions to begin their activities from a remote server hosted by the
> developers.
> Apple says it's now improving the app review process to stop this
> happening in future.
> 
> The same server was also designed to control a similar set of Android
> apps. Unfortunately, the weaker security on the Android operating system
> meant that the developer was able to go even further with these malicious
> apps - causing direct harm to the user.
> According to the Wandera security team, "Android apps communicating with
> the same server were gathering private information from the user's device,
> such as the make and model of the device, the user's country of residence
> and various configuration details.
> "One example involved users who had been fraudulently subscribed to
> expensive content services following the installation of an infected app."
> The full list of infected apps:
> .    RTO Vehicle Information
> .    EMI Calculator & Loan Planner
> .    File Manager - Documents
> .    Smart GPS Speedometer
> .    CrickOne - Live Cricket Scores
> .    Daily Fitness - Yoga Poses
> .    FM Radio - Internet Radio
> .    My Train Info - IRCTC & PNR (not listed under developer profile)
> .    Around Me Place Finder
> .    Easy Contacts Backup Manager
> .    Ramadan Times 2019
> .    Restaurant Finder - Find Food
> .    BMI Calculator - BMR Calc
> .    Dual Accounts
> .    Video Editor - Mute Video
> .    Islamic World - Qibla
> .    Smart Video Compressor
> All 17 infected apps are published on the App Stores in various countries
> by the same developer, India-based AppAspect Technologies Pvt. Ltd. So, if
> you spot the name on a listing of an app that looks good... don't download
> it.
> 
> 
> 
> Thx, Albert
> 
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> [eric at pmpmail.com]
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> 
> 
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