CopyCat malware infected 14 million Android devices in 2016, stole $1.5 million

A CopyCat malware affected over 14 million Android devices last year, rooting eight million of them and earning the hackers behind the attack approximately $1.5 million in fake ad revenues in two months, Israel-based IT security provider Check Point has revealed.

The malware affected users mainly in Southeast Asia and spread to more than 2,80,000 Android users in the US, the company said in a blog post.

“It is unclear who is behind the CopyCat attack, however, there are several connections to MobiSummer, an ad network located in China,” it added.

“The malware also refrains from targeting Chinese devices, suggesting the malware developers are Chinese and want to avoid any investigation by local law enforcement, a common tactic in the malware world,” the blog post said.