Security Blog

  Cover Story Hong Kong Security Watch Report (Q3 2015) HKCERT advises on the recent case of credit card information leakage Hot Topic Hong Kong Google Play Store's Apps Security Risk Report (October 2015) Upcoming Event "Transaction Security of Mobile...

  Favourite Security Reads of the Week (30 Oct 2015)   "Favourite Security Reads of the Week". Each week we share five news or articles that we like. We hope you will love this column and we welcome your comment via email to hkcert@hkcert...

In mid-Oct 2015, there were news reports about data leakage arising from excessive data stored on some contactless credit cards that support Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. Fraudsters can use specific applications on an NFC-enabled mobile phone to scan and obtain information...

  Favourite Security Reads of the Week (23 Oct 2015)   "Favourite Security Reads of the Week". Each week we share five news or articles that we like. We hope you will love this column and we welcome your comment via email to hkcert@hkcert....

  Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team (HKCERT) Coordination Centre cooperates with the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team of China (CNCERT) for detecting malicious and suspicious behaviors of Apps from the Google Play Store, in order to study the security risk of apps in the Google Play Store in Hong Kong area. CNCERT provides us analyzed result, and we collate the detection result and publish security alerts to the public. In the report of October, we have downloaded 200 apps from Play Store, where 5 apps have been identified as high risk. None of them were removed from Play Store (on or before 22-Oct). The detail of report is shown as follow. Target scope Top 50 Free Applications in Hong Kong area Top 50 New Free Applications in Hong Kong area Top 50 Free Games in Hong Kong area Top 50 New Free Games in Hong Kong area Scanned Apps Successful downloaded and scanned: 200 apps Unable to download via the system: 0 apps Downloaded date: 5-October 2015 List of the downloaded apps: "Appendix 1" [download]   Analysis Overview In this analysis, 200 apps were scanned for bad behaviors. Based on the level of security threat, the apps were divided into 2 categories: apps with malicious and apps with suspicious behaviors. Malicious behavior refers to apps having malicious purpose explicitly, which could cause direct harm to systems and users' interests. Suspicious behavior refers to apps having behavior, which could cause direct harm to systems and users' interests, but no malicious behavior can be explicitly identified. 1.    Scanning Result Among the 200 scanned apps, 5 apps were identified as security high risk. These 5 Apps were identified with the following high risk behavior signatures Trojan.AndroidOS.Generic.A, Android Multi Ads (PUA), Android:Igexin-AJ [PUP], Trojan.Android.SmsSend.duexrs, Riskware/AnroidOSFictus, etc. List of security high risk apps   Application High risk behavior signature / Ad plug-in Malware detection ratio by VirusTotal Status # 1) 优酷XL高清影视    (v1..1) Category: Top Free App Installs: 500,000+ High risk behavior description: obtain SIM operator name, obtain SIM serial number, obtain SIM status, obtain device ID, ...

  Favourite Security Reads of the Week (16 Oct 2015)   "Favourite Security Reads of the Week". Each week we share five news or articles that we like. We hope you will love this column and we welcome your comment via email to hkcert@hkcert....

  Favourite Security Reads of the Week (9 Oct 2015)   "Favourite Security Reads of the Week". Each week we share five news or articles that we like. We hope you will love this column and we welcome your comment via email to hkcert@hkcert....

  Favourite Security Reads of the Week (2 Oct 2015)   "Favourite Security Reads of the Week". Each week we share five news or articles that we like. We hope you will love this column and we welcome your comment via email to hkcert@hkcert....

  Cover Story HKCERT and PISA Urge for Enhanced Transaction Security in Mobile Apps "Transaction Security of Mobile Apps in Hong Kong" Study Report Best Practice Guide (SSL Implementation) for Mobile App Development Security Risks of Network-Attached Storages (NAS) ...

  Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team (HKCERT) Coordination Centre cooperates with the National Computer Network Emergency Response Technical Team of China (CNCERT) for detecting malicious and suspicious behaviors of Apps from the Google Play Store, in order to study the security risk of apps in the Google Play Store in Hong Kong area. CNCERT provides us analyzed result, and we collate the detection result and publish security alerts to the public. In the report of September, we have downloaded 200 apps from Play Store, where 5 apps have been identified as high risk. None of them were removed from Play Store (on or before 29-Sep). The detail of report is shown as follow.   Target scope Top 50 Free Applications in Hong Kong area Top 50 New Free Applications in Hong Kong area Top 50 Free Games in Hong Kong area Top 50 New Free Games in Hong Kong area   Scanned Apps Successful downloaded and scanned: 200 apps Unable to download via the system: 0 apps Downloaded date: 5-September 2015 List of the downloaded apps: "Appendix 1" [download]   Analysis Overview   In this analysis, 200 apps were scanned for bad behaviors. Based on the level of security threat, the apps were divided into 2 categories: apps with malicious and apps with suspicious behaviors. Malicious behavior refers to apps having malicious purpose explicitly, which could cause direct harm to systems and users' interests. Suspicious behavior refers to apps having behavior, which could cause direct harm to systems and users' interests, but no malicious behavior can be explicitly identified.   1.    Scanning Result Among the 200 scanned apps, 5 apps were identified as security high risk. These 5 Apps were identified with the following high risk behavior signatures AdWare.AndroidOS.AdDisplay, Android.Locker.EJf4d3, Android.Adware.Adware.Uapush.1.origin, Android.Smsreg.CS, Trojan.Android.Joye.dqenuc, etc.   List of security high risk apps   Application High risk behavior signature / Ad plug-in Malware detection ratio by VirusTotal Status # 1) LINE Launcher    (v2.0.57) Category: Top Free App Installs: 10,000,000+ High risk behavior description: obtain SIM operator name, obtain SIM serial number, obtain WiFi configuration, obtain device information, read phone number, and connect to the Internet. AdWare.AndroidOS.AdDisplay 3 / 55 [Link] Available on play store 2) PAC-MAN 256 - Endless Maze    (v1.0.3) Category: Top Free App, New Free App, Top Free Game, New Free Game Installs: 1,000,000+ High risk behavior description: obtain geo-location information, obtain WiFi configuration, read phone number, connect to the Internet, and send out phone information. Android.Locker.EJf4d3 1 / 56 [Link] Available on play store 3) 伏魔者    (v1.1.3) Category: New Free App, New Free Game Installs: 10,000+ High risk behavior description: obtain SIM operator name, obtain SIM serial number, obtain geo-location information, obtain...