The cybersecurity firm Bitdefender has issued an urgent warning for Android users after discovering 35 apps that use sneaky methods to spam phones and install malware that steals user data, as reported first by Express.
The issue is made even more serious by the fact that some of the programs included in this most recent study are even accessible for download through Google's Play Store.
The Android logo is displayed at the Mobile World Congress (MWC) in Barcelona on February 26, 2019. - Phone makers will focus on foldable screens and the introduction of blazing fast 5G wireless networks at the world's biggest mobile fair as they try to reverse a decline in sales of smartphones.
According to Bitdefender, individuals from all over the world have downloaded the applications more than two million times. Once they are installed, they begin to serve aggressive advertisements that frequently lead to malware.
But even more concerning is that the hackers are using a new method to make it more difficult to delete them by changing the application's name and icon on the phone's display. In an effort to remain undetected on devices, hackers have been utilizing this strategy more frequently.
In a blog post on its website, Bitdefender stated that these apps first serve aggressive adverts while concealing their existence on the device by changing their names and icons.
"To confuse the user and conceal their presence, the applications are changing their name and icon after installation," the firm wrote in their blog post.
Read also: 'App Permissions List' No Longer Shows on Google Play Store on Both Web, Mobile App
Apps To Delete
Now that the programs listed below have been identified, all Android users are recommended to examine their devices and remove the following apps:
- Animated Sticker Master
- Art Filter - Deep Photoeffect
- Art Girls Wallpaper HD
- Big Emoji - Keyboard
- Cat Simulator
- Create Sticker for Whatsapp
- Colorize Old Photo
- Colorize Photos
- EffectMania - Photo Editor
- Engine Wallpapers - Live & 3D
- Fast Emoji Keyboard
- Grad Wallpapers - 3D Backdrops
- GPS Location Finder
- Girls Art Wallpaper
- GPS Location Maps
- Image Warp Camera
- Math Solver - Camera Helper
- My GPS Location
- Media Volume Slider
- Led Theme - Colorful Keyboard
- Walls light - Wallpapers Pack
- Stock Wallpapers - 4K & HD
- Photopix Effects - Art Filter
- Keyboard - Fun Emoji, Sticker
- Smart Wifi
- Smart QR Creator
- Smart QR Scanner
- Volume Control
- Secret Horoscope
- Smart GPS Location
- Personality Charging Show
- Sleep Sounds
- QR Creator
- Secret Astrology
• Phi 4K Wallpaper - Anime HD
Important Reminder
The fact that an app is available on the Play Store does not guarantee that it is risk-free, according to Bitdender.
"While official stores are usually very good at weeding malicious or dangerous applications out, some history shows that a small number of bad apps manage to get through and make victims until they get reported," the firm said.
Hence, it is important that users are cautious with the apps they download to prevent hackers from stealing sensitive information from their phones.
Related Article: Google Play System Update July 2022: Rebranded 'Google Wallet,' Play Store Improvements, and More
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Written by Joaquin Victor Tacla
