Be on the lookout, pig-crushing Android enthusiasts. The latest game from Rovio, Angry Birds Space, already has a fake counterpart in Google Play that downloads malware to your handset in the background.
The fake version is actually a functioning game of Angry Birds Space. However, security company Sophos identified a Trojan horse within the app named Andr/KongFu-L. It quietly installs itself onto your phone and can then start displaying ads all over the device and bring up any website at any time without your permission.
Rovio has even taken to its blog to post a brief warning about the malware app. It reads:
As you get ready to pop pigs in zero gravity, watch out for fake versions of Angry Birds Space, and make sure to download safe by getting the official game from Rovio.
It doesn’t look like too many people are affected at this point, especially considering how many downloads the real Angry Birds Space has garnered. In the first three days of availability for iOS and Android, it was downloaded ten million times. The best way to avoid any malware in Google Play is to verify the developer is legitimate before downloading any app. For instance, if you’re about to download Angry Birds and you notice that the developer is not Rovio, you’re about to make a terrible mistake.
It’s also worth noting that there is not a fake version of Angry Birds on iOS and therefore no malware. The problem is exclusive to Google Play.
Be sure to download the official Angry Birds Space game for Android if you haven’t already.