The cybersecurity company CyberNews discovered the presence of a hundred malicious applications on the Play Store. Developed by a single network, these applications downloaded more than 69 million times hide their game well. Behind their appearance of beauty, utility and entertainment apps are actually hidden leeches that siphon the personal data of their users.
CyberNews experts say that these applications required extensive permissions when installed, which endangered the devices on which they were installed. In fact, once authorizations were received, malicious apps stole personal data, notably photos, videos and location, in order to resell them to advertisers or data brokers. They could also install malware without the users' knowledge.
In some cases, apps blocked access to the phone and demanded ransom from their victims to give them access.
Think twice
Cybersecurity experts point out how important it is to pay attention to the permissions granted to an application during its installation. It doesn't make sense for an app to request your exact location or for a calculator to access your photos and videos. Warned of the problem, Google removed all but one of the offending apps. The Video Editor, Video Maker With Music Photos & Text app was still on the Play Store on April 22. The name of its developer had been changed to trick Google.
If they have been removed from the Play Store, they may still be installed on your device. CyberNews experts advise uninstalling malicious apps, here is the full list:
- 30 Day Challenge Workouts for Women
- Alarm pill Reminder
- App Locker Fingerprint and Password Gallery Locker
- App Locker Fingerprint, PIN and Gallery Locker
- App Locker With Password - Photo Gallery Locker
- App Locker With Password Fingerprint
- App locker with Password fingerprint Lock Pattern
- Application Locker With Password Fingerprint
- Assistive Touch Easy Touch With Control Center
- Automatic Call Recorder Both Sides to record calls
- Automatic Call Recorder Incoming and Outgoing App
- Automatic Call Recording Incoming and Outgoing
- Battery Charger With Battery Saver and Optimizer
- Beauty Camera Makeup Face Selfies
- Beauty Camera Makeup Photo Editor and Makeover
- Bubble Level Ruler With Inclinometer Free
- Builder for Minecraft House
- Buttocks Workout 30 days
- Call Recorder Automatic - Call Recorder 2 Ways
- Call Screen Themes With Flashlight On Call
- Caller Screen Themes With Color
- Color Call Screen Themes With Flash on Call
- CPU phone Cooler to cool down phone
- Cut and Paste Photo Editor and Change Background
- Cut and Paste Photo Editor With Background Eraser
- Cut Photo Editor Background
- Data Saver and Data Manager To Control data usage
- Dual Account Double Space
- Emoji Keyboard Themes and Fancy Keyboard
- Face Makeup Camera Beauty Editor
- Fake Caller With Prank Caller and Call Simulator
- File Transfer to Another Phone and Share Anything
- Flower Drawing Step by Step
- Glitch Effect Video Editor and VHS Effect Photo
- Glitch Effect Video Photo Editor Grainy Effect
- GoFox Incognito Browser
- Graphing Calculator And Equation Solver
- Horoscope 2019 with 12 Zodiac Sign Master
- Internet Browser Private to Download Videos HD
- Internet Speed Test Meter and WiFi Test Speed
- Jigsaw Puzzles for Adults and Picture Puzzles
- JPG To PDF Converter With Scanner
- Kiwi VPN Connection for IP Changer Unblock Sites
- Makeup Camera and Beauty Makeover Editor
- Makeup camera and Beauty Makeover Editor
- Makeup Photo Editor with auto camera
- Math Solver Camera With Equation Calculator
- Math Solver with Graphing calculator
- Memory Booster and Cleaner With RAM Optimizer
- Metronome and Tuner For Instrument
- Mod for Minecraft - Mod for Minecraft Animals 2019
- Mods for MCPE Maps for Minecraft PE Free
- MP3 Music Player MP3 Cutter Ringtones Maker
- Nucie Cam Beauty Selfie Camera With Photo Editor
- PDF Scanner Camera Scanner: JPG to PDF Converter
- Perfect VPN Proxy to Unblock Sites With IP Changer
- Period Tracker Menstruation and Ovulation Calendar
- Phone Cooler Master and CPU Cooling 2020
- Photo Collage Maker and Photo Grid 2019 News
- Photo Collage Maker And Picture Grid
- Photo Collage Maker and Picture Grid Art Frame
- Photo Editor With Square Blur
- PIP Photo Editor With PIP Camera Photo Maker 2019
- Pixel Art Color By Number 2019 and Sandbow Coloring
- Pixel Art Color By Number and Sandbox Pages
- Pixel Art Color by Number
- QR Code Scanner and Barcode Reader Product Checker
- Rar File Extractor and File Compressor
- RAR File Extractor and Zip Opener
- Relax Sound Sleep Music and Shooting Sounds
- Running Tracker with Step counter and calories
- School Hairstyles Step by Step Braiding Hairstyle
- Screen Recorder and Facecam and Screenshot
- Screen Recorder Game Recorder With Facecam
- Screen Recorder With Audio and Facecam
- Screen Recorder with audio and Facecam
- Screen Recorder With Facecam and Audio - Video Editor
- Screen Recorder With Facecam and Screenshoot Capture
- Sketch Photo Editor and Pencil Art
- Slow motion Video Editor and Fast speed video maker
- Ultrashark VPN Free Proxy Server and Secure
- Video Creator with Music and Video Maker of Photos
- Video Editor and Maker with Music photos and text
- Video Editor of Photos Video Recorder With Music
- Video Editor With Music and Effects
- Video Editor With Music App - Video Maker of Photo
- Video Maker and Music Slideshow
- Video Maker and Photos Effects Slow motion Videos
- Video Maker Creator with Music and photos
- Video Maker with Music Photos - Video Effects App
- Video Maker-Editor with Music photos and Text
- Video Player All Format 2019 With Media Player App
- Video Slideshow With Music and Photos
- Vintage Camera Photo with Photo Editor and Makeover
- Vlog Editor and Video Maker With Photos
- Voice Changer -Voice Recorder With Effects
- Voice Recorder and Editor With Cut Recorded Audio
- Voice Recorder Editor and HD Audio Recording
- Volume Booster and Equalizer MP3 Music Player
- Volume Booster and Sound Enhancer Music Player
- Volume Booster Music Player and Sound Booster
Web
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High-Tech
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- Personal data
- High-Tech
- Cybersecurity
- Mobile app
- Application
- Android