Be careful of the danger of cheap smartphones that lurk you

News24xx.com - Many smartphone vendors are currently competing to release products that cheap yet have the quality. However, be careful if buying a cheap Android smartphone.

Based on research conducted by Avast Threat Labs, more than 100 cheap smartphones from vendors such as ZTE, Archos, and myPhone have somehow been detected to have pre-installed malware. This malware infects users in more than 90 countries, including the United States, quoted from Gizmodo, Friday, May 25th 2018.

Adware called "Cosiloon" has been circulating since 2016. Adware is also very difficult to remove because it is embedded directly in the smartphone firmware. Currently, Avast detects the presence of Cosiloon on 18,000 devices. There are two types of the detected AvilCosiloon. The first type installs a payload that then generates pop-up ads that offer games or apps.

While the second type somewhat more vicious and embedded more deeply in the firmware. This type is able to show applications, install additional APKs from the internet, and send personal data such as IMEI numbers, Mac addresses and phone numbers to the server. Almost all devices that come with malware are not certified by Google and the installer is added by the manufacturer, OEM, or carrier.

For users who have this infected smartphone can use Google Play Protect to disable Cosiloon. To manually remove payloads, users can use a trusted antivirus application.

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