Beware Of Malicious Apps, NCC Warns 

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned mobile phone users against a certain Malware that targets Android devices. 

What’s the malware? 
The malware, which is known as “Schoolyard Bully”, is said to have infected more than 300,000 android devices already. In an advisory, the Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) urged users to only download applications from official sites and application stores. It added that while downloading apps, users should double-check each application and uncheck boxes that request additional third-party downloads, as well as use anti-malware applications to regularly scan their devices against such invaders. 

How does the malware work? 

The NCC reported that researchers from the mobile security company Zimperium had discovered a number of apps that spread the Schoolyard Bully malware while passing themselves off as reading and educational apps with a range of books and subjects for its potential victims to study. The commission says that the malware’s primary goal is to steal account information, including email address and password, account ID, username, device name, device RAM (Random Access Memory), and device API (Application Programming Interface). 

“The (Zimperium) research stated that the malware employs JavaScript injection to steal Facebook login information”, the NCC-CSIRT advisory noted, adding that “the malware uses native libraries to evade detection and analysis by security software and machine learning technologies”.