Malicious Android apps totaling thousands and thousands of downloads observed on Google Play

Why it matters: Anti-malware specialist Doctor Web has recognized malicious software program that became currently to be had on Google Play, masquerading as legitimate video games and apps. They have all because been eliminated from the shop however if you downloaded any of them, make sure to remove them ASAP.

Four games especially – Agent Shooter, Rainbow Stretch, Rubber Punch three-D, and Super Skibydi Killer – stood out for their use of a trojan designed to make the most intrusive ads. Some of the games had more than 500,000 downloads every, and the authors went to high-quality lengths to keep their nefarious nature hidden from customers.

As Dr. Web notes, the video games could update their icons on the home display with obvious variations and leave their call field blank to keep away from detection. Some also used a Chrome internet browser icon, and could launch trojans that might run in the historical past when opened to generate fraudulent advert sales.

Such techniques can be effective, in particular while the worm stops working, as unsuspecting users will just anticipate their browser has crashed and relaunch the fake app.

Dr. Web also unearthed several other apps that fell into the Android.FakeApp category. These have been mainly financial-primarily based apps focused on activities like inventory trading and accounting that tricked users into loading fraudulent websites and tried to persuade them to become "traders." Examples in this class protected MoneyMentor, FinancialFusion, and Financial Vault.

Others disguised as legitimate games, like Jungle Jewels, Eternal Maze, Fire Fruits, Enchanged Elixir, Cowboy's Frontier, and Stellar Secrets, have been more often than not fronts for on line casino web sites, and in violation of Google Play guidelines.

Yet any other class of trojan apps, Android.Joker, subscribes victims to paid offerings and may impersonate any range of legitimate app. One instance, known as Beauty Wallpaper HD, pretended to be an photo collection app even as any other, dubbed Love Emoji Messenger, billed itself as a free chat app.

Dr. Web's file is going to reveal that even reputable app shops like Google Play are not proof against horrific actors.

Image credit score: Amarnath Radhakrishnan