A new Joker malware-like virus is allegedly spreading on Android apps. This new security exploit is alarming because researchers claim that the new malware has infected applications with millions of downloads. 

New Joker Malware-Like Virus Affects Google Apps! Autolycos Alledgedly on Applications With Millions of Downloads
(Photo : Rob Hampson from Unsplash )
Experts say that the returning Joker malware is back with a malicious scheme to the victims.

Now, imagine if hackers take advantage of this new virus. Maxime Ingrao, a French cybersecurity expert, working for Evina security firm, was the one who confirmed the appearance of the new malware.

He announced his findings via his official Twitter post on July 13. 

"Found new family of malware that subscribe to premium services. 8 applications since June 2021, 2 apps always in Play Store, +3M installs," said the security expert via his latest tweet.

New Joker Malware-Like Virus Affects Google Apps!

According to Phone Arena's latest report, the new Autolycos malware is quite similar to the Joker malware. This means that this Android virus can also steal money from Google users without them knowing they are already breached.

New Joker Malware-Like Virus Affects Google Apps! Autolycos Alledgedly on Applications With Millions of Downloads
(Photo : Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)
In this photo illustration, an image of the Google logo is reflected on the eye of a young man on August 09, 2017 in London, England. Founded in 1995 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page, Google now makes hundreds of products used by billions of people across the globe, from YouTube and Android to Smartbox and Google Search.

Also Read: Google Chrome Hack: New Update Released, but Windows, Android Users Still at Risk

Ingrao explained that one of the differences between the Joker and Autolycos malware is the virus' lack of webview. Instead, Autolycos only uses HTTP requests.

He added that hackers could promote the new malware by creating Facebook pages that run infected FB and IG ads. Ingrao further explained that Autolycos can retrieve a JSON on the C2 address "68.183.219.190/pER/y." 

After that, it will execute the URLs and return the results to include the requests. Thanks to this, Autolycos will not generate webviews, enabling it to be more stealthy compared to the Joker malware.

Delete These Google Apps Now 

If you don't want to get infected by the new Autolycos malware, then you should delete the following Google apps: 

  • Vlog Star Video Editor 
  • Creative 3D Launcher 
  • Gif Emoji Keyboard 
  • Razer Keyboard & Theme 
  • Freeglow Camera 1.0.0 
  • Coco camera v1.1 
  • Funny Camera 
  • Wow Beauty Camera 

You can remove these apps in two methods. The first is searching their names on the official Google Play Store platform and clicking the uninstall button. 

The second one is finding the actual app on your device. After that, just long-press the application until the uninstall button appears. 

In the app list above, the Vlog Star Video Editor and Creative 3D Launcher are the most dangerous ones since they already have more than one million downloads. 

You can visit this link to see more details about them. 

Recently, security experts discovered fake Windows 11 downloads that spread the Vidar malware.

On the other hand, four Google apps were found to be infected by the notorious Joker malware. 

For more news updates about the new Autolycos malware and other security threats appearing on the official Google Play Store, keep your tabs open here at TechTimes.  

Related Article: Scammers Are Using Google Reviews to Extort Money From Restaurants | Here's How to Spot Fake Reviews

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Written by: Griffin Davis

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