Squid Game-themed apps pave way for hackers to snack on your data

Unlike Squid Game, investing is not generally a lose-everything scenario — although it can be if you put all your eggs in one basket: it was devastating for those who did so with Woodford. (Representative image: Reuters)

Korean drama series Squid Game has racked up quite a following and has become the most popular show on Netflix. Squid Game garnered over $891.1 million in value since release. The show's massive popularity has begun attracting cybercriminals, who are also trying to bank on the success of the show.

A new malware-laced Squid Game-themed app is doing to the rounds on the Google Play Store. Hackers designed the app to steal information from Android users. The Squid Game Wallpaper app has since been removed from the Play Store, but if you happen to have it on your device, we’d recommend removing it.

Squid Game themed Android Joker

1) downloads and executes native lib 2) native lib downloads and executes apk payload Running this app on device might result in malicious ad-fraud and/or unwanted SMS subscription actionshttps://t.co/PTDtPlUkBypic.twitter.com/AFs8gkEuab — Lukas Stefanko (@LukasStefanko) October 19, 2021

Cybersecurity researcher Lukas Stefanko discovered that the Squid Wallpaper 4K HD app carried the infamous Joker malware, which was being used to infect users’ smartphones. The is the first time that the Joker malware is being used to infect smartphones through a Squid Game app. Stefanko noted that the app was installed on over 5,000 devices before it was taken down.

According to Stefanko, the app let hackers send “malicious ad-fraud and/or unwanted SMS subscription actions”. Thus, enabling users to be spammed with fake transaction messages or showing advertisements luring customers to sign up for fraudulent premium subscription.

Stefanko recommends you remove the app from your phone and run a virus scan if you happen to download it. There are currently over 200 Squid Game-themed apps on the Google Play Store.