VERY IMPORTANT

Joker is one of the most prominent malware families that continually targets Android devices. Despite awareness of this particular malware, it keeps finding its way into Google’s official application market by employing changes in its code, execution methods, or payload-retrieving techniques. This spyware is designed to steal SMS messages, contact lists, and device information along with silently signing up the victim for premium wireless application protocol (WAP) services. Recently, we have seen regular uploads of it onto the Google Play store. This prompted us to evaluate how Joker is so successful at getting around the Google Play vetting process.