Tekya

The Tekya malware is a threat designed to target devices running the Android OS. The threat appears to be distributed by fake copies of various applications. The applications in question are hosted on the official Android application store – the Google Play Store. There have been around 56 different dodgy applications propagating the Tekya malware. The total number of downloads, of all the applications spreading the threat, is approximately one million. According to researchers, the cybercriminals propagating the Tekya threat tend to mostly use games for young children, or simple utility applications like photo editors and calculators.

The Tekya threat’s main purpose is ad-fraud. This means that one the Tekya malware has compromised your Android device, it will proceed to click on advertisements by mimicking the actions of a real user. Clicking on ads spawned by advertisement networks affiliated with the Tekya threat creators helps the dodgy marketing companies boost the revenue generated.

Users who install an application, which carries the Tekya malware may not notice anything wrong. This is due to the fact that the installed application will behave and function as intended. The Tekya malware is certainly not as dangerous as some other Android threats, but that does not mean that its creators are not going to weaponize it in the future. That could prove to be a serious problem having in mind how well the Tekya malware is being propagated.

Since the discovery of the Tekya malware, the Google Play Store has managed to remove the majority of the applications carrying the payload of this threat. However, the authors of the Tekya threat have already managed to breach thousands of Android devices all around the world. Do not forget that cybercriminals can be cunning and may be able to evade even the safety checks of reputable application stores like the Google Play Store. Be very cautious when you install new software on your device. Also, make sure your device is protected by a genuine anti-virus application that is compatible with the Android version running on your device.