Auto Clicking “GhostClicker” Playstore Android Adware Found in 340 Apps with 5 Million Downloads

Auto Clicking Android Adware called “GhostClicker” Found in Google Play Store from 340 Android Apps Especially “Aladdin’s Adventure’s World” game which contains same auto Clicking Adware was Downloaded more than 5 Millions times.

Current scenario revealed that, Android Platform is one of the biggest Target for Cyber Criminals to Steal personal information and bank details across the Goble.

The Auto Clicking adware was discovered with many embedded Android Apps that belongs to QR and barcode scanners, multimedia recorders and players, device charger, GPS/navigation-related apps

Aladdin’s Adventure’s World Infected Game

This Auto Clicing GhostClicker Adware Infected Many Countries including Brazil, Japan, Taiwan, Russia, Italy, and the U.S.

According to Trend Mircro,this adware as GhostClicker (ANDROIDOS_GHOSTCLICKER.AXM) given its auto-click routine and the way it hides itself in Google Mobile Services (GMS), the set of Google’s most popular applications and application program interfaces (APIs).

GhostClicker Also Abuse and hide its code into Facebook Ad’s software development kit (SDK) and It embeds itself into these two services (GMS, SDK) with the name called “logs“.

Also Read  :  Dangerous Android Banking Trojan Control Mobile Devices and Steals Confidential Bank Customers Information

How Does GhostClicker Work

MajoY Motivation of this Malicious Adware is to Generate more revenue from Ads Campaign by Generating Fake Traffic.

GhostClicker using the Technique that performs to insert the code Directly into Google-owned mobile advertising platform called Admob for getting the ad’s location.

Once gathered the information about the Device dimensions that it calculates the appropriate XY coordinates then uses the dispatch touche vent API to simulate clicking.

Inserting code to get AdMob’s Context View

It used to retrieve the Device Property by using the infected App after it launched which is used to configure the User-Agent string in Android devices.(http.agent).

Some of the GhostClicker-embedded apps requested Device Permission without Declaring the security policy such as wiping data and resetting password.

This Permission Technique leads to taking many Process to uninstall by users to removing the infected app.

It popups in other Apps which Displaying with  Download link of the Google play store and Generating more Revenue by this Malicious activities.

Also, It opens a YouTube video link in the device’s browser via communication with its command and control (C&C) server.

dispatchTouchEvent API for Auto Click

GhostClicker using the dispatchTouchEvent API to automatically click the ad and Generate the revenue.

Finally, GhostClicker will perform the Auto Click the Ads Each and Every in victims Mobile.

Image Source :Trend Micro