My tentacled companions, it looks like our mad Squid Game obsession is coming back to bite us. According to researchers, there are a bunch of malware apps riding the hype of the massive Netflix show just to fuck up our phones. Not nice.
Malware researcher Lukas Stefanko, who works for ESET (Essential Security against Evolving Threats), has found that a Squid Game wallpaper app, aptly titled ‘Squid Game Wallpaper 4K HD’, apparently installed malware onto people’s phones. If you mess with the wrong squids, you get the ink, I guess.
The app was available on the Google Play Store, and is expected to have been downloaded over 5,000 times on Android phones across the world. It has since been removed, and anyone with the app is encouraged to delete it immediately.
According to Stefanko, it was found to allow “malicious ad-fraud and/or unwanted SMS subscription actions” on people’s phones, as well as installing Joker malware onto phones, which can expose your device to hackers very easily.
Squid Game themed Android Joker
1) downloads and executes native lib
2) native lib downloads and executes apk payloadRunning this app on device might result in malicious ad-fraud and/or unwanted SMS subscription actionshttps://t.co/PTDtPlUkBy pic.twitter.com/AFs8gkEuab
— Lukas Stefanko (@LukasStefanko) October 19, 2021
I mean, I’m not quite sure who is downloading wallpaper apps anymore — it all seems just a touch late 2000s, don’t you think?
Besides, why get a dodgy wallpaper app when you can just google your favourite images or use Pinterest to get some hot wallpapers for your phone?
According to Stefanko, because Squid Game is so wildly popular, this one wallpaper app may not be alone in being full of nasty malware. There are apparently over 200 Squid Game apps swimming around the Play Store, and it’s hard to say which ones are legit or not.
I guess just be careful when dipping your tentacles into the deep dark ocean.
You can have a look at all the apps available in the tweet below. Some of them look pretty fun, to be honest, but that would be like me to fall for a scam.
Over 200 #SquidGame related apps are available on Google Play
Seems like a great opportunity to make money on in-app ads from one of the most popular TV show without official game.
The most downloaded of them reached 1M installs in 10 days. Its game play is not that well handled pic.twitter.com/gCOYXXaVHY— Lukas Stefanko (@LukasStefanko) October 19, 2021
Friends, I know Squid Game fkn rocked, but maybe let’s avoid the massive influx of apps. You really don’t need your phone to play Red Light, Green Light.
If you wanna read all the goss about Squid Game Season 2 that we know so far, you can head right here.
