The Google Play store at the present is swarming with malware-filled apps and sketchy developer practices. Google is aware of it and has already started to remove some of these.
According to 9to5Google, the company removed an additional 24 malware-heavy applications that exist at the Google Play. Alarmingly, these apps have already been downloaded nearly 500,000 times. Google is now hard at pursuing all these problematic apps and eliminating them from its online app marketplace.
Google already removed many developers and applications from the PlayStore after reports of their existence were made. The latest ones removed were discovered by the cybersecurity firm CSIS Security Group. Their research showed that among the infected apps exist the "Joker" malware.
What makes this malware scary is that it can sign users people to premium subscription services without them knowing, steal their SMS messages and contacts, as well as rob critical device information, not limited to the serial and IMEI numbers. The malware can silently or stealthily click on ads and then simultaneously accessing the verification codes that these ads will send through SMS. They will use these verification codes to sign up to these premium subscriptions, all without the users knowing!
The CSIS released the names of the 24 apps with this malware. Users with these apps should immediately remove them. These are:
1. Advocate Wallpaper
2. Age Face
3. Altar Message
4. Antivirus Security - Security Scan
5. Beach Camera
6. Board picture editing
7. Certain Wallpaper
8. Climate SMS
9. Collate Face Scanner
10. Cute Camera
11. Dazzle Wallpaper
12. Declare Message
13. Display Camera
14. Great VPN
15. Humour Camera
16. Ignite Clean
17. Leaf Face Scanner
18. Mini Camera
19. Print Plant scan
20. Rapid Face Scanner
21. Reward Clean
22. Ruddy SMS
23. Soby Camera
24. Spark Wallpaper
Security researcher Aleksejs Kuprins said that the malware was designed to target users specifically in 37 countries, including the US, UK, and Australia. Certain EU and Asian countries are also affected as well. Still, most of these apps did not have any region restrictions so essentially everyone around the world can be affected.
Kuprins added that these 24 apps are not likely to be the last. More can be discovered down the road. The security researcher, however, said that with Google's efforts, users need not fear anymore. "Google has been removing all of these apps without any note from us," Kuprins said. Future apps with this malware are not likely to last long with Google's efforts.
