Google Chrome users contract malware from a phony version of Bad Piggies.
Have you ever wanted to play a game, but didn’t have the right platform? You’re not alone, but you might want to be careful to avoid the same trap that more than 80,000 Google Chrome users fell into. According to The Inquisitr, an app claiming to be the popular Angry Birds spin-off game Bad Piggies turned out to be fake. Though Rovio, the company behind Bad Piggies, has only made the game available on Apple and Android, a version appeared in the Google Web Store. With the title “Angry Birds Bad Piggies,” the app seemingly offered users the ability to play the game using their web browser. However, like most things that seem too good to be true, the app was a fake, and when installed, invaded the user’s computer with malware.
The malware installed by the fake Bad Piggies would replace original ads on websites such as Yahoo and MSN with ads for products affiliated with the hacker’s own network. In addition, the phony app requested access to information in a manner similar to verified applications. However, the Inquisitr article noted that the malware gathered a little more than users bargained for – specifically, email addresses and credit card information.
The Inquirer reported that Google is working on a malware scanner for its app store Google Play, which will warn users before they download a potentially malicious application. This scanner might go a long way toward disrupting the tendency for hackers to use Google’s stores as a destination for nefarious activity.
Despite Google’s efforts to make its products safer, users should also take security measures into their own hands. Utilizing whitelist software is one way to prevent potentially fraudulent applications from accessing sensitive personal information.
Have you ever downloaded an application that turned out to be phony?
