36.5 million Android users may be infected by 'Judy' globally: Report

A new malware named 'Judy' is affecting millions of Android smartphones globally similar in its reach to that of Wannacry ransomware, said a report.

According to security solutions firm Check Point, the malware Judy uses infected devices to generate large amounts of fraudulent clicks on advertisements, generating revenues for the perpetrators behind it.

The total spread of the malware campaign on Google Play store may have reached between 8.5 and 36.5 million users, said Check Point on its blog.The auto-clicking adware (Judy) was found on 41 apps developed by a Korean company. However, it wasn't clear which countries have been impacted by the Judy malware.

"Some of the apps (that were infected) we discovered resided on Google Play for several years, but all were recently updated. It is unclear how long the malicious code existed inside the apps, hence the actual spread of the malware remains unknown," it added.

After Check Point notified Google about this threat, the apps were swiftly removed from the Play store, the blog said.Earlier this month, a ransomware called WannaCry wrecked havoc across over 100 countries, hitting systems in countries, including Russia and the UK.

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