Fake porn website apps have multiplied in number recently.
Instead of delivering what they promise, these dangerous apps actually install malware on your device. Android users who try to access Pornhub on their smartphones are often tricked into downloading malware.
Nicknamed Android/FakeAV.E by ESET security researchers, a fake Pornhub app promises to provide pornographic videos, but instead infects and locks users' mobile phones, demanding a ransom to unlock them.
Pornhub has an official app, but it's not available on the Play Store due to Google's stance on pornographic content. This means that users interested in downloading the app are forced to go to more unofficial app stores that leave them exposed. This makes it easier for attackers to exploit them.
“When the app is launched, instead of showing pornographic videos, it shows the user a message saying that their device must first be ‘scanned for viruses.’ After clicking OK, the fake AV, which is made to look like Avast, installs the virus.”
It installs ransomware that locks your smartphone and asks you to pay $100 in Bitcoin to unlock it.
According to ESET, the number of ransomware detections on Android has increased by over 50% year-on-year, with the largest increase observed in the first half of 2016.
For simple ransomware that simply locks the screen, like this fake Pornhub app, ESET recommends booting your Android gadget into safe mode and then uninstalling the malicious app. ESET has encouraged users to install a security app and keep it updated. The company also recommends keeping a backup of all important data.
To stay safe from such ransomware attacks, avoid downloading third-party apps from unknown sources outside the official Google Play app store. Secondly, avoid downloading porn Android apps anyway.
