Android apps found on Google Play Store were discovered to be pushing ads and secretly subscribing users to premium services, according to cybersecurity researchers from Dr.Web. These trojan apps, collectively installed around two million times, were disguised as games, messengers, and wallpaper apps. The researchers identified three known malware families – FakeApp, Joker, and HiddenAds – being distributed by these deceptive apps.
Upon installation, these apps would change their icons on the device to something that users would hesitate to remove, such as the Chrome browser icon, or even remove their icons altogether to create an empty space in the app drawer. The apps would then operate in the background, delivering ads to users through their browsers, thereby generating profits for the developers. The ads included prohibited content such as casino websites and fake investments, violating Google’s policies.
One of the most significant trojans that managed to evade Google’s defenses and appear on the Play Store was Super Skibydi Killer, a game app with one million downloads. Other notable apps included Agent Shooter (500,000 downloads), Rubber Punch 3D (500,000 downloads), and Rainbow Stretch (50,000 downloads). Some apps, like Love Emoji Messenger (Korsinka Vimoipan) with 50,000 downloads and Beauty Wallpaper HD (fm0989184) with 1,000 downloads, unknowingly subscribed users to premium services.
While Google has removed these apps from the Play Store, users who have already downloaded them must take action to protect themselves. Deleting the apps from their devices is essential. For those concerned about potential compromise, Dr.Web provides a list of additional suspicious apps to watch out for, including Eternal Maze (Yana Pospyelova), Jungle Jewels (Vaibhav Wable), Stellar Secrets (Pepperstocks), Fire Fruits (Sandr Sevill), Cowboy’s Frontier (Precipice Game Studios), and Enchanted Elixir (Acomadyi).
Source: BleepingComputer
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