Keeping an app store free of malicious applications can be a hard task as we have discussed in our previous blogs. Fake or misleading applications, in particular, are often the hardest to spot because it is not always obvious whether they do what they claim to do.
Our automated systems flagged an egregious example of a misleading application that was posted to the Amazon Appstore for Android.
The application, named Password Wifi Hacker Plus, purports to crack passwords of nearby Wi-Fi networks. However, the application only pretends to do so and displays fake dialog boxes.
Figure. Password Wifi Hacker Plus fake dialog box
In the meantime, the application is bundled with six different advertising network components, some of which are quite aggressive. These advertising components may leak information, such as your location, display advertisements in the notification panel, create icons on your home screen, add bookmarks, and display incessant pop-ups.
We have notified Amazon of the presence of the application on their Appstore.
We recommend installing a security app, such as Norton Mobile Security, which detects the application already as Android.Fakeapp.
For general safety tips for smartphones and tablets, please visit our Mobile Security website.