Security Blog

  Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team (HKCERT) Coordination Centre cooperates with the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team of China (CNCERT) for detecting malicious and suspicious behaviors of Apps from the Google Play Store, in order to study the security risk of apps in the Google Play Store in Hong Kong area. CNCERT provides us analyzed result, and we collate the detection result and publish security alerts to the public. In the report of September, we have downloaded 200 apps from Play Store, where 5 apps have been identified as high risk. None of them were removed from Play Store (on or before 29-Sep). The detail of report is shown as follow.   Target scope Top 50 Free Applications in Hong Kong area Top 50 New Free Applications in Hong Kong area Top 50 Free Games in Hong Kong area Top 50 New Free Games in Hong Kong area   Scanned Apps Successful downloaded and scanned: 200 apps Unable to download via the system: 0 apps Downloaded date: 5-September 2015 List of the downloaded apps: "Appendix 1" [download]   Analysis Overview   In this analysis, 200 apps were scanned for bad behaviors. Based on the level of security threat, the apps were divided into 2 categories: apps with malicious and apps with suspicious behaviors. Malicious behavior refers to apps having malicious purpose explicitly, which could cause direct harm to systems and users' interests. Suspicious behavior refers to apps having behavior, which could cause direct harm to systems and users' interests, but no malicious behavior can be explicitly identified.   1.    Scanning Result Among the 200 scanned apps, 5 apps were identified as security high risk. These 5 Apps were identified with the following high risk behavior signatures AdWare.AndroidOS.AdDisplay, Android.Locker.EJf4d3, Android.Adware.Adware.Uapush.1.origin, Android.Smsreg.CS, Trojan.Android.Joye.dqenuc, etc.   List of security high risk apps   Application High risk behavior signature / Ad plug-in Malware detection ratio by VirusTotal Status # 1) LINE Launcher    (v2.0.57) Category: Top Free App Installs: 10,000,000+ High risk behavior description: obtain SIM operator name, obtain SIM serial number, obtain WiFi configuration, obtain device information, read phone number, and connect to the Internet. AdWare.AndroidOS.AdDisplay 3 / 55 [Link] Available on play store 2) PAC-MAN 256 - Endless Maze    (v1.0.3) Category: Top Free App, New Free App, Top Free Game, New Free Game Installs: 1,000,000+ High risk behavior description: obtain geo-location information, obtain WiFi configuration, read phone number, connect to the Internet, and send out phone information. Android.Locker.EJf4d3 1 / 56 [Link] Available on play store 3) 伏魔者    (v1.1.3) Category: New Free App, New Free Game Installs: 10,000+ High risk behavior description: obtain SIM operator name, obtain SIM serial number, obtain geo-location information, obtain...

  Favourite Security Reads of the Week (25 Sep 2015)   "Favourite Security Reads of the Week". Each week we share five news or articles that we like. We hope you will love this column and we welcome your comment via email to hkcert@hkcert....

In the mid-September, the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (HKCERT) and the Professional Information Security Association (PISA) published a study on “Transaction Security of Mobile Apps in Hong Kong”. In this study, 130 Hong Kong online transaction...

Continuing on from where the two previous articles discussing the risks of networked devices left off, this article will focus on the increasingly popular networking device – the network-attached storage (NAS). With the advance in technology, many users have incorporated NAS decides in their...

  Favourite Security Reads of the Week (18 Sep 2015)   "Favourite Security Reads of the Week". Each week we share five news or articles that we like. We hope you will love this column and we welcome your comment via email to hkcert@hkcert....

Mobile apps owners and developers should apply transmission encryption (SSL), validate digital certificates and use certificate authentication technology to prevent hackers from stealing app users’ sensitive personal and transaction data, urged the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre (HKCERT) of the Hong...

  Favourite Security Reads of the Week (11 Sep 2015)   "Favourite Security Reads of the Week". Each week we share five news or articles that we like. We hope you will love this column and we welcome your comment via email to hkcert@hkcert....

  Favourite Security Reads of the Week (4 Sep 2015)   "Favourite Security Reads of the Week". Each week we share five news or articles that we like. We hope you will love this column and we welcome your comment via email to [email protected].   Below is the Favourite Security Reads of this Week.   UPnP Trouble Puts Devices Behind Firewall at Risk (ThreatPost, 2015-09-01) OGCIO updates on government public cloud SaaS adoption (ComputerWorld, 2015-09-01) < 資安漫畫 > 資料外洩肇因於網路釣魚信 (TrendMicro, 2015-08-27, Chinese) More than 80% of healthcare IT leaders say their systems have been compromised (CIO, 2015-08-...

  Cover Story Response to Windows Server 2003 End of Support Hot Topic Hong Kong Google Play Store's Apps Security Risk Report (August 2015) Upcoming Event Information Security Summit 2015 "Cyber Security is Everywhere" Graphic Design Contest...

  Response to Windows Server 2003 End of Support   Microsoft has ended its support of Windows Server 2003 on the 14th of July and will not issue further patches even if new vulnerabilities come to light 1. However, Windows Server 2003 may still be very commonly used...