Many harmful Android apps may be found in the Google Play Store.
Three hundred rogue Android applications have been identified in the Google Play Store. This demonstrates yet again that downloading from a trusted source is insufficient for security.
Bitdefender cybersecurity experts uncovered 35 Android applications on the Google Play Store that contain hazardous advertisements. According to the cybersecurity firm, to the users, these apps disguise as useful and prevent from deleting them.
The researchers claim that the virus, which includes GPS programs, picture editors, and charging screensavers, has been downloaded more than two million times. If accessible public data is examined the overall number is most likely even higher.
Hiding from the users
The researchers said that simply sending advertisements to endpoints isn’t hazardous itself, but the problem is that these applications do it through their framework, which means nothing prevents them from also distributing more serious malware or even ransomware. Furthermore, if the ads are presented aggressively as they are they degrade the user experience.
Another feature that distinguishes these applications as harmful is their ability to conceal from victims to escape uninstallation. When an unsuspecting victim downloads one of the malicious applications, it changes its complete look including the icon and name into something different. It is changed frequently into programs that users are scared to uninstall; this could be System Settings, or something similar.
Even though Google’s Play Store vetting system has improved with time, yet unscrupulous developers continue to get a few apps past the system into one of the world’s largest software repositories.
To verify whether an app is authentic or not the researchers have advised users to double-check that an app has enough downloads, favorable ratings, and comments before downloading it from the Google Play store. Cybercriminals can utilize bots to spoof reviews and ratings, but not in large numbers. An antivirus application would also be beneficial.
