In their report, researchers at Trend Micro said they had discovered the presence of a particularly harmful virus in several applications available on the Play Store. These fake apps took on the appearance of perfectly normal apps, including VPNs, system optimization tools, and unnecessary file cleaning software. In reality, these applications concealed malware that could download up to 3,000 pieces of malware without the knowledge of the owners of infected smartphones, once they were installed.
Malware included malware, but also other more perverse malware.
There was also talk of hacking Facebook and Google accounts of their victims in order to post false comments on the Internet or to rate apps on the Play Store positively.
Check the presence of these applications on your smartphone
Malware hidden in applications could also push their victims to give them more access, in order to deactivate Android protection (Play Protect), just to download other malicious software.
Although Google has removed malicious apps from the Play Store, they may still be installed on your smartphone. It is obviously advisable to delete them. Here is the list of applications:
- Shoot Clean - Junk Cleaner, Phone Booster, CPU Cooler
- Super Clean Lite - Booster, Clean & CPU Cooler
- Super Clean - Phone Booster, Junk Cleaner & CPU Cooler
- Quick Games - H5 Game Center
- Rocket Cleaner
- Rocket Cleaner Lite
- Speed Clean - Phone Booster, Junk Cleaner & App Manager
- LinkWorldVPN
- H5 gamebox
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