How To Remove HummingBad Malware: Everything You Need To Know

Check Point Software Technologies has issued a report on a new threat to users of the Android operating system; learning how to remove HummingBad malware, as the virus is known, is straightforward. However, it may be a painful process for some users.

HummingBad is thought to have infected 286,800 devices in the United States and 325,208 in Mexico. China is thought to have the largest number of devices affected by HummingBad with 1.6 million; India follows, with 1.4 million. Most devices found infected with HummingBad have been running Android versions Jelly Bean and Kit Kat, with 40 and 50 percent respectively. Marshmallow-, Ice Cream Sandwich-, and Lollipop-version Android devices were said to make up less than 10 percent of instances where HummingBad malware has been found.

How To Check For HummingBad Malware

Check Point software itself offers ZoneAlarm for Android that can check for HummingBad. Lookout and Avast also offer software to check for HummingBad malware. By running quick scans with the apps users can quickly check for HummingBad on their smartphones.

As The Inquisitr has previously reported, a criminal group in China known as “Yingmob” is thought to be behind HummingBad malware. It is suspected that HummingBad has infected up to 85 million devices around the world and that Yingmob has the potential to sell access to those devices “to the highest bidder.” Definitely not something that most smartphone owners would want and a good reason to check for HummingBad with the software available.

How To Remove HummingBad Malware

Unfortunately, if a scan of an Android device shows that it has been infected with the malware, the current consensus is that the best way to remove HummingBad is to reset it to its factory settings, with instructions provided by Green Bot. For most Android users, this can be accomplished by choosing “Factory data reset” under “Privacy settings” on the Android “Settings” menu.

Remember to back-up files, such as music, photos, and documents to a computer or SD card before performing the reset or they will be permanently lost.

How To Avoid Getting HummingBad Malware

The Google Play network uses a variety of methods to keep purveyors of scumware like HummingBad from accessing its users’ devices. Time has reported on how Alphabet’s (then Google) “Bouncer” and “Verify Apps” tools are used to monitor uploaded apps for nefarious code.

For the most part, Android users who only download apps from Google Play are probably safe from malware like HummingBad. However, as Daily Dot reports, even the Google Play network has been infiltrated by hackers in the past.

In addition to only downloading apps directly from Google, running scans with software provided by ZoneAlarm, Lookout, or Avast is probably the best way to avoid getting HummingBad malware or any other malware.

Who Is Yingmob?

Yingmob is said to be the criminal group behind HummingBad malware, which is reported to generate fraudulent revenues of up to $300,00 per month, affect up to 50,000 new Android devices per day, and leave millions of users’ data vulnerable. Once HummingBad has infected a device, Yingmob is reported to be able to remotely control it, giving the criminal group the ability to create “a botnet, carry out targeted attacks on businesses or government agencies, and even sell the access to other cybercriminals on the black market.”

“Yingmob has several teams developing legitimate tracking and ad platforms. The team responsible for developing the malicious components is the ‘Development Team for Overseas Platform’ which includes four groups with a total of 25 employees.”

This team is reported to be currently developing three projects: Eomobi, which includes HummingBad malware; Hummer Offers, described as an “analytics platform” for ad servers; and Hummer Launcher, an Android ad server application package. Check Point has even been able to pinpoint the group to an address in Chongqing, China.

Android users can check for the malware using available software from Check Point and other companies. Perhaps unfortunately for some, the best way to remove HummingBad is by resetting Android devices to their original factory settings.

[Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]