October 26, 2023 at 06:56PM
Over 2 million Android users were affected by malicious Google Play apps that pushed intrusive ads while remaining hidden on devices. Dr. Web’s analysts identified trojans associated with the ‘FakeApp,’ ‘Joker,’ and ‘HiddenAds’ malware families. Notable apps included Super Skibydi Killer, Agent Shooter, and Eternal Maze. These apps generated revenue for their operators by launching ads and directing users to scam sites. The affected apps have been removed, but users should delete them and run device scans. To avoid such threats, minimize app downloads, read user reviews, and verify trustworthy publishers.
Meeting Notes Takeaways:
– Doctor Web’s analysts identified several malicious Google Play Android apps that have been installed over 2 million times, which push intrusive ads to users while concealing their presence on infected devices.
– The malware families associated with these apps are FakeApp, Joker, and HiddenAds.
– Of particular concern are four adware apps that are disguised as games: Super Skibydi Killer, Agent Shooter, Rainbow Stretch, and Rubber Punch 3D.
– Once installed, these apps replace their icons with that of Google Chrome or use a transparent icon image to hide in the app drawer.
– The apps run secretly in the background and generate revenue for their operators by launching ads through the browser.
– The analysts also found FakeApp family apps that direct users to investment scam sites, as well as game apps that violate Google Play policies by loading dubious online casino websites.
– Two apps from the Joker family were also spotted, which subscribe users to premium paid services.
– All the malicious apps mentioned in the report have been removed from Google Play.
– Users who had previously installed these apps should delete them immediately and perform a device scan using Play Protect and a mobile antivirus tool.
– Dr. Web has published a list of hashes for all malicious Android apps discovered last month on GitHub.
– To avoid downloading malicious software, users should minimize the number of apps they install, read user reviews carefully, and verify the trustworthiness of the app publisher.