Beware: Fake Angry Birds Malware

Beware: Fake Angry Birds is a Malware

Before you hit the button to download your favourite Angry Birds Space app on your Android, do ensure that it is not the fake game app which has a Trojan malware. 

Rovio has warned on its blogpost, "As you get ready to pop pigs in zero gravity, watch out for fake versions of Angry Birds Space, and make sure to download safe by getting the official game from Rovio."

The security firm Sophos writes that the official version, published by Rovio on the Google Playmarketplace, is not affected. The malicious version on unofficial app markets, which Sophos designates as Andr/KongFu-L, actually runs a fully functional version of the game — so infected players may not be aware they’re even infected. 

Looking deep into the code, Sophos found that two files were hidden within a JPG inside the game. Once installed, the faux-game apparently gains root access to the phone via the GingerBreak exploit, basically placing your phone at the mercy of unseen hackers. Once it has access, the malware will download more malicious software, and even force the phone’s browser toward URL’s designated by the malware’s creator.

Angry Birds Space has been downloaded 3 million times in the three days following its release on March 22.