Pokemon Go sideloaders suffer malware threat: Here’s how to deal with it

Amid all the talk going on about Pokemon Go, there has emerged one that scares the sideloaders the most. While it is unfortunate that countries like Australia and New Zealand launches are delayed because of the server load and most others don’t have it, yet, the masters of the gaming and coding world have already made/discovered an alternative. It is called ‘Pokemon Go APK’.

While most users have reported that the experience with the alternative as “mindblowing”, there is no way of telling if it is as good as the original, or possibly better. However, what has been confirmed is that the app comes packed with malware.

Known as DroidJack or SandroRAT, the virus-packed file installs itself automatically as soon as you install the game. It gains unauthorized access to the device. This essentially means that the hackers have full control of it.

Post this news breaking out, we tried it on a smartphone and discovered the malware. We also found out that a simple factory reset after deleting the game uninstalls the malware.

For those wondering whether or not to try the game, and those who can not wait to get the official version, here’s something to ensure the security of the device: download “ComputeHash” on your PC. This tool checks the legitimacy of anything that you download and gives you details so that you can check whether it is a malware.

There are other tools available online for this purpose like “IgorWare Hasher” and “Hash Generator”. However, these are just basic tools to identify malwares that have been tested before. They do nothing to identify new ones.

Therefore our suggestion to you is to avoid sideloading APK files to your phone, and download games from reputed markets such as PlayStore and the Windows store. Be a little patient and The Pokemon Company shall come through in time.

About the author

Nitin Agarwal

Nitin started PC-Tablet because of his keen interest in space research, technology, and gadgets. He is an avid reader, technology enthusiast, and like to explore new places. His passion for knowledge keeps him running all the time.