A new variant of the infamous Joker malware has once again made it onto Google Play, with Google removing 11 malicious Android applications from its official app marketplace, researchers disclosed Thursday.
Malicious apps spreading the Joker have continued to skirt Google Play’s protections since 2019, because the malware’s author kept making small changes to its code. However, researchers say that Joker is now raising the bar, using a tactic – one that’s well known but not yet been used by Joker before now – to hide malicious code inside legitimate applications, allowing it to get through Google Play’s app vetting process.
