There’s a new threat to those who play porn games on their Android devices (and those who don’t). Ransomware using SMS and the device owner’s personal photos is wreaking havoc on gamers all over the globe.
The ransomware sends the device owner a text claiming that their image is being used on a sex simulator game. The text messages derive from both friends and family. Yep, that awkward moment when grandma appears to have found your mug on a sex simulator game. That would compel just about anyone to take action, right?
That’s the issue.
Moreover, once the malware takes hold of the Android device, it leverages that contact list to send out similar text messages from that person’s device.
According to Forbes, a malware researcher at cybersecurity vendor ESET, Lukas Stefanko, discovered the brazen malware issue.
Most of the attacks have leveraged mobile porn games as their conduit to spreading. And that’s a big problem for Android users.
The Android porn game sector is growing by leaps and bounds. This is something the creators of the malware likely understand well. It’s unlikely that such threats will slow down the fun, but it is something that porn gamers need to consider.
Making things worse, the malware utilizes built-in Android language settings. This means even those friends you met while hiking in Venezeula may have received a creepy message from you. Imagine having just met someone on a hike and a year later, you receive a message that the person found your profile on a sex simulator game. No one is winning in this case.
Don’t Click Suspicious Sex Simulator Text Message Links
The real attack occurs when the person clicks the sex simulator app. This is when the malware is installed. So yeah, don’t click weird links in your text messages or emails, and you’ll be fine.
The malware isn’t set up perfect. The malware can be decrypted without paying any ransom. This doesn’t help soothe the feelings of those affected, though.
“We need to start realizing that attackers use any way they can to spread malicious software so we shouldn’t be too quick to act on a text message, especially from an unverified source,” Jake Moore, a cybersecurity specialist at ESET, told Forbes.
Moore also went on to say that malware’s use of a personal contact list heightens the threat simply because we tend to trust messages received from familiar names. Worsening the situation, most people consider only email, not text messages, to be a potential hacking threat. In other words, people have their guards down. If you play any free porn games, the message might seem even more urgent. This is because you might think your online activity led to your profile being lifted nefariously.
Ransomware remains one of the dark web’s easiest ways to make money. Using SMS to install ransomware increases the odds of a big payoff for criminals.
Tips For Avoiding Malware/Ransomware
- Never trust odd messages. If you receive a weird-looking text or email, contact the person through another medium and verify they sent it.
- Don’t click on strange links, particularly from people who never send links.
- If someone you haven’t spoken to in years suddenly messages you with a link, or a request to take any sort of action, don’t do it unless you verify with the person through another contact medium.