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| Terracotta .. false apps that promise free shoes |
Google has removed an unknown number of Android apps from its official store and the search giant has stated that they are part of a deceptive advertising robot called Terracotta.
These cyber robots were discovered by the Satori Mobile Security team at White Ops, a security company that specializes in determining the behavior of electronic robots.
White Ops researchers said they have been tracking Terracotta since Cyberbot appeared to be active in late 2019.
According to the researchers, terracotta warriors and horses were triggered by downloading apps from the Google Play Store. These users have promised that if they install these apps on their device, they will get free income.
These apps usually offer casual shoes, sneakers, and sometimes expensive tickets, coupons, and dental work.
Users need to install the app and then wait two weeks to receive the free product. During this time, you have to install the app on your smartphone.
However, a modified version of the WebView (a miniature Google Chrome) has been downloaded and implemented.
Terracotta Web Robot has deployed a modified WebView (out of the user's field of view) and committed ad fraud by loading ads and taking advantage of showing fake ads.
White Ops Terracotta team described the Cyberbot as a complex and gigantic robot. It uses advanced technology to avoid fraud detection and access to the ad network.
In the last week of June alone, clay robots secretly downloaded more than 2 billion ads to 65,000 infected smartphones.
After Google's intervention, the number of web bots on the Google Play Store decreased, but it was not completely removed. Some devices are still infected.
Some users might think clay is not a problem for them. Because they bypass the ad network instead of the user, but they often use the affected device's battery and work 24 hours a day, they use the Internet.
A Google spokesperson said: Since we investigated Terracotta fraud in partnership with White Ops, the results have helped us identify the problem associated with a number of previously discovered apps and other bad uses.
He added, "This allows us to act quickly to protect users, advertisers and the entire ecosystem."