Google, working with other cybersecurity companies, has managed to dismantle the system of malicious applications that powered WireX
It may not be an Avengers or Marvel’s Defenders level saga, but Google and several other cybersecurity companies (such as Akamai, Cloudflare, Flashpoint, Oracle Dyn, RiskIQ and Team Cymru) have joined forces to succeed in defeating WireX.
WireX is a botnet designed to specifically target Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) via distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. To achieve this, the hackers behind the attack developed several hundred applications containing Android malware of various kinds (mainly adware, but not only) in order to generate “junk data” from millions of Android smartphones worldwide. This data could then be used to attack major CDNs, jeopardizing the operation of dozens of web portals worldwide. A bit like what has already been done by Mirai, in short.
Deleted 300 apps from the Play Store
The discovery of the botnet came after Google improved the security systems of the Google Play Store. The new antivirus scanners (also linked to Google Play Protect) enabled the discovery of 300 malicious apps that, disguised as media players or ringtone editors, turned Android smartphones into zombie devices. Google technicians, in collaboration with those of other cybersecurity companies involved in the operation, proceeded to delete the infected apps from the Play Store and uninstall them from the infected devices.
Botnet already at work
The intervention of Google and its Defenders was nothing short of providential. According to researchers, the botnet was born only in the first days of August 2017, but already by mid-month it had reached a considerable size. So much so that from August 15 onwards the network of zombie computers went into action, attacking at least 70 thousand IP addresses on a daily basis. The botnet has spread in a very varied way all over the world, so much so that experts say there are at least 100 countries involved in the hacker attack. The growth of botnets in the last period is putting sites, companies and suppliers in serious trouble. Given their effectiveness, it’s highly likely that coalitions like the one formed to stop WireX will become the norm in the future.