Security researchers at the Lookout Threat Lab have identified a new rooting malware distributed on Google Play and prominent third-party stores such as the Amazon Appstore and the Samsung Galaxy Store. We named the malware “AbstractEmu” after its use of code abstraction and anti-emulation checks to avoid running while under analysis. A total of 19 related applications were uncovered, seven of which contain rooting functionality, including one on Play that had more than 10,000 downloads.

There’s a great scene in the 1997 film “Contact” where the protagonist Dr. Eleanor Arroway, played by Jodie Foster, is informed that her lab’s funding has just been revoked. Arroway’s lab partner explained that the government lost faith in the project due to concerns of her engaging in questionable activities, such as watching static on TV for hours.