Android malware steals million Google accounts

Washington / AFP

Malicious software designed to attack Android smartphones has breached the accounts of more than a million Google users, security researchers said. The report by Check Point Software Technologies said the malware dubbed Gooligan targets devices running Android 4.0 and 5.0, which represent nearly 74 percent of mobile devices using the Google-powered operating system.
The attacks can steal email addresses and authentication data stored on the devices to access sensitive data from Gmail, Google Photos, Google Docs and other services, Check Point said. “This theft of over a million Google account details is very alarming and represents the next stage of cyber-attacks,” said Michael Shaulov, Check Point’s head of mobile products. Check Point said researchers discovered Gooligan’s code in an application last year and that a new variant appeared in August 2016, affecting some 13,000 devices per day.