North Korea Is Using Infected Mobile Games To Hack The Phones Of South Koreans

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Kim Jong Un with a logitech mouse

via Reuters

South Korea's spy agency claimed on Wednesday that North Korea used infected mobile games to hack the phones of over 20,000 South Koreans.

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The Korea times reports that the National Intelligence Service has accused the North Korean government of using its hacker army to disguise spying software as mobile apps. The games were linked to on websites popular in South Korea, and people then downloaded the apps.

The South Korean government hasn't released details on the hacked apps, which it now claims to have removed.

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However, nknews.org recently reported on a mobile game which does originate from North Korea. Nice Pigs is alleged to have been created by a North Korean citizen living abroad to gain IT training that will help the country. There's no suggestion that Nice Pigs contained malware, but it does show that there are app developers working for the North Korea government.

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North Korea has consistently denied launching cyber attacks on South Korea. Instead, it claims, that any reports of the country's hacker army are fabrications intended to increase tension on the border between the two countries.