Android malware doubled in 2015: Report

Smartphone security is the new concern as cases of Android malware were reported to have doubled in 2015 as compared to 2014, said a new report which warned that, in 2016, more hacks on smart technologies could result in fatal privacy damage.

The annual security report from security software company Trend Micro Inc. also noted that the rise in Android malware is owing to the aggressive adoption of smart technologies.

"Android's 'MediaServer' component took a lot of hits in 2015. Vulnerabilities found in the component can be exploited to perform attacks using arbitrary code execution. Such attacks could force a device's system to go on endless reboot, draining its battery," Trend Micro said in a statement.

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The hacks can render Android devices silent and unable to make calls due to unresponsive screens, constant rebooting, making the device totally useless.

Some other Android vulnerabilities include the susceptibility of the Android debugger Debuggered that can expose a device's memory content.

The Samsung SwiftKey Keyboard vulnerability had a pre-loaded malicious code masquerading as additional language packs that put over 600 million Samsung Galaxy-series phones at risk.

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With the emergence of vulnerabilities like iOS Quicksand and AirDrop, even Apple's phones took some hits in 2015. These proved that iOS users could potentially be hit with malware.

Although there are no current solutions designed to protect Internet of Things (IoT), the report suggested that in order to keep devices protected from attacks, developers need to be able to push regular updates and patches to close off any holes attackers can exploit.

Source: IANS