Researchers at ESET have identified a set of applications on the Google Play store that contain malicious ads.
Company researchers informed Google's security team of the apps and they were quickly removed, but apps are still available in third-party app stores.
The researchers explained that these applications provide the functions they promise, but they contain malicious advertising software called Ashas, and once the application is installed on the phone and run, the application begins to communicate with an external server, sending the main data of your phone which includes: device type, OS version, language , How many apps are installed, free storage space, battery status, whether the device's security has been broken through the Root process, whether the developer mode is enabled, and whether Facebook and Messenger are installed.
The application then receives from the external server called (C&C) the setup data necessary to display ads, stealth and intrusion to the device easily.
The list of affected applications by ESET includes:
- "Video Downloader Master"
- "Ringtone Maker Pro"
- "SaveInsta"
- "Tank Classic"
- "Ringtone Maker 2.0"
- "Insta downloader"
- "Free Social Videos downloader"
- "World champion 2018"
- "Smart Notes"
- "Smart Gallery"
- "MP4 Video Downloader"
- "Water Drink Remind"
"Basketball Perfect Shot"
"Free Radio FM online"
- "Mini Lite for facebook"
- "Solucionario de baldor"
- "Heroes Jump"
- "Hiketop +"
- "DU Recorder"
- "Free Top Video Downloader"