Delete These 35 Malware Apps on Your Android

While official app stores are the safest way to find and download new software for your smartphone, they are not without bugs. The Google Play Store has safeguards in place to remove malicious apps, but sometimes some manage to slip in undetected. 35 such apps were recently discovered hidden in the Play Store: If you download any of them on your Android device, delete them now.

Cybersecurity company Bitdefender released a report on Wednesday, August 17, that identified a new batch of 35 malicious apps in the Play Store. These apps are aggressive in their deception – tricking users into downloading them, each pretending to be an app that the average Android user can enjoy. However, when the user installs the app, it changes the name and icon of the app so that it remains hidden on the device.

Many have moved the icon to the icon associated with Settings and even created an alias for the actual Settings app. When you open the fake app, it will eventually open the real settings and trick you into thinking it is a legitimate settings app. These apps will also hide in recent apps lists, making them more difficult to find during normal use.

The goal for these apps is to serve you an obnoxious amount of ads: Aside from annoying you, these ads generate revenue for the developers of the malware apps. Worse yet, the developers run these ads from their own framework, which bypasses the protections typically implemented by Android. That allows developers to link to malware through these ads, compounding the danger.

Bitdefender discovers these types of apps using real-time behavior technology that identifies apps using practices known to be associated with fake or malicious software.

Below is the complete list of apps discovered in the report, compiled by Tom’s Guide. If you downloaded any of these apps on your device, delete them immediately. Of course, it’s possible the apps have changed their names and app icons, which means you’ll need to be scrupulous in your investigations: Look for any apps, such as utility or settings apps, you know you didn’t have previously on your device.

These 35 malicious Android apps hide their identity on your phone.

Walls light - Wallpapers Pack: 100K+
Big Emoji - Keyboard: 100K+
Grad Wallpapers - 3D Backdrops: 100K+
Engine Wallpapers - Live & 3D: 100K+
Stock Wallpapers - 4K & HD: 100K+
EffectMania - Photo Editor: 100K+
Art Filter - Deep Photoeffect: 100K+
Fast Emoji Keyboard: 100K+
Create Sticker for Whatsapp: 100K+
Math Solver - Camera Helper: 100K+
Photopix Effects - Art Filter: 100K+
Led Theme - Colorful Keyboard: 100K+
Keyboard - Fun Emoji, Sticker: 50K+
Smart Wifi: 10K+
My GPS Location: 10K+
Image Warp Camera: 100K
Art Girls Wallpaper HD: 100K+
Cat Simulator: 50K+
Smart QR Creator: 10K+
Colorize Old Photo: 500+
GPS Location Finder: 100K
Girls Art Wallpaper: 10K+
Smart QR Scanner: 50K+
GPS Location Maps: 100K
Volume Control: 50K+
Secret Horoscope: 10K+
Smart GPS Location: 10K+
Animated Sticker Master: 100K
Personality Charging Show: 100K
Sleep Sounds: 100K
QR Creator: 10K+
Media Volume Slider: 10K+
Secret Astrology: 10K+
Colorize Photos: 10K+
Phi 4K Wallpaper - Anime HD: 50K+

How to avoid downloading malware-infected apps

Malware apps are deceptive and sly, and certainly don’t advertise themselves as malicious in the Play Store. However, they often give themselves away in a few different ways. If you keep an eye out for the red flags, you can avoid downloading any to your Android device.

If an app has a large number of installs, but little to no reviews, avoid it. Bitdefender found an app like GPS Location Maps, with over 100,000 downloads, had zero reviews. On the flip side, if there are reviews, study them closely. If most seem poorly written, fake, or even written about another app, that’s a bad sign.

Take note of the permissions an app asks you for. It's reasonable for a GPS app to ask for your location, but not for things like your camera and microphone. Beware of apps that also ask for special permissions. Most of the apps you download don't have the company asking for facilitation permissions, which suggests that the software is looking for some shady stuff in the background.

While the Play Store is home to the most hidden apps affected by malware, Android isn't the only one facing this problem. Researchers have recently discovered several malicious apps in the iOS and macOS app stores, a reminder that Apple and Android fans should be careful whenever they download an app.

via: lifehackers.com