Researchers with Wandera Threat Labs have uncovered 17 malicious iOS apps on the Apple App Store that carried out ad fraud on infected iPhones, iPads, and iPods. After installation, a clicker Trojan in the apps would start running in the background, simulating ad clicks and opening web pages. The researchers explained that “the objective of most clicker Trojans is to generate revenue for the attacker on a pay-per-click basis by inflating website traffic.”
All 17 applications were developed by India-based AppAspect Technologies Pvt. Ltd., although 1 app was not listed under this developer profile. That app, called “My Train Info – IRCTC & PNR” is the only app still available on the App Store, the other 16 apps have all been removed by Apple. The researchers could not tell if the developer had planted malware in the apps on purpose, or if their infrastructure had been compromised by hackers.
Read more: iOS Clicker Trojan Malware Found in 17 Apps in Apple’s App Store
