Ethical Hacking News
VexTrio Viper, a multinational criminal enterprise with ties to Russia and Belarus, has been linked to millions of fake apps and scams on Apple and Google's official app storefronts. The group uses complex networks of interconnected companies to deceive users into signing up for subscriptions that are difficult to cancel. As cybersecurity experts call out the industry for its lack of awareness in treating scams with the same severity as malware, VexTrio Viper's activities serve as a stark reminder of the need for greater vigilance and education.
In this exposé, we delve into the world of VexTrio Viper and explore the sinister forces behind its operation. From fake VPN apps to spam blocker scams, our investigation reveals the shocking extent of the organization's malicious activities. Stay ahead of the curve with The Hacker News as we uncover the truth behind VexTrio Viper.
VexTrio Viper is a multinational criminal enterprise operating for over two decades as a commercial affiliate network. The organization uses fake apps and developer IDs to maintain plausible deniability while carrying out illicit activities. VexTrio Viper's fake apps have been downloaded millions of times, with some charging users several times after convincing them to enroll in subscriptions. The group has a vast network of affiliates, with Los Pollos having 200,000 affiliates and over 2 billion unique users every month. VexTrio Viper is also a major spam distributor, using cloaking services to disguise domains and deliver malicious content.
The world of ad tech has long been plagued by malicious actors seeking to exploit vulnerabilities in the industry for their own gain. However, a recent discovery by threat intelligence firm Infoblox sheds light on a particularly egregious player in this space: VexTrio Viper, a multinational criminal enterprise that has been operating for over two decades.
At its core, VexTrio Viper is a commercial affiliate network that serves as an intermediary between malware distributors and threat actors. The organization's success lies in its ability to create complex networks of interconnected companies, each with their own shell names and developer IDs. This ruse allows the group to maintain plausible deniability while carrying out its illicit activities.
One of the most disturbing aspects of VexTrio Viper's operations is its use of fake VPN and spam blocker apps on Apple and Google's official app storefronts. These apps masquerade as legitimate applications, but in reality, they are designed to deceive users into signing up for subscriptions that are difficult to cancel.
The firm Infoblox analyzed the various developer names used by VexTrio Viper, including HolaCode, LocoMind, Hugmi, Klover Group, and AlphaScale Media. According to the researchers, these fake apps have been downloaded millions of times in aggregate, with some apps charging users several times after convincing them to enroll in a subscription.
One such Android app is Spam Shield block, which purports to be a spam blocker for push notifications but, in reality, charges users several times after convincing them to enroll in a subscription. Reviewers of the app on Google Play Store expressed frustration with its deceptive practices, noting that they were asked to pay multiple fees despite being misled into signing up for a single subscription.
The scale of VexTrio Viper's operations is staggering. The firm claims that Los Pollos, another company linked to the organization, has 200,000 affiliates and over 2 billion unique users every month. This is achieved through cost-per-action (CPA) networks that allow publishing affiliates to earn a commission when a site visitor performs an intended action.
Furthermore, VexTrio Viper is also found to be a major spam distributor, leveraging lookalike domains of popular mail services like SendGrid ("sendgrid[.]rest") and MailGun ("mailgun[.]fun") to facilitate its operations. The group uses cloaking services like IMKLO to disguise the real domains and evaluate criteria such as the user's location, their device type, their browser, and then determine the exact nature of content to be delivered.
The implications of VexTrio Viper's activities are far-reaching. Cybersecurity expert Dr. Renée Burton noted that the security industry has been more focused on malware in recent times, which can lead to a phenomenon known as "victim blaming." This is where there is an assumption that people who fall for scams somehow deserve to be scammed more.
"Stealing your credit card information via malware – even when it requires some ridiculous stroke of keys, like the current fake captcha/ClickFix attacks – is somehow 'worse' than if you are conned into giving it up," Dr. Burton said. "Cybersecurity education and greater awareness for treating scams with the same severity as malware are two ways to combat malicious adtech."
The fact that VexTrio Viper has been able to evade detection for so long is a testament to the organization's sophistication and persistence. As the threat landscape continues to evolve, it is essential that we prioritize cybersecurity education and awareness in order to combat the growing menace of malicious ad tech.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/VexTrio-The-Ad-Tech-Empire-Behind-Millions-of-Fake-Apps-and-Scams-ehn.shtml
https://thehackernews.com/2025/08/fake-vpn-and-spam-blocker-apps-tied-to.html
Published: Thu Aug 7 12:35:23 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
