From threatpost.com
The mobile ad plugin, found in hundreds of Google Play apps, uses well-honed techniques from malware development to hide itself.
Over 440 million Android phones have been exposed to an obnoxious advertising plugin hidden within hundreds of popular applications available via Google Play, which ultimately can render phones almost unusable.
Lookout Research discovered the plugin being bundled with 238 unique applications that have racked up millions of downloads between them – all from one company in China, CooTek. Dubbed BeiTaPlugin, the ad module forcibly displays ads on the user’s lock screen, triggers video and audio advertisements (even while the phone is asleep) and displays out-of-app ads in other areas too.