Even after Google’s efforts to stop malicious apps from getting into Google Play Store apps, many still escape being caught. These dangerous apps on Google Play Store have been downloaded 300,000 times by innocent phone users. Recently, Cybersecurity researchers at Zscaler's ThreatLabz have discovered three malware families targeting phone users via malware containing Google Play Store apps. Installing these malicious apps allows cybercriminals to steal users’ data, take over their social media handles of users, access SMS, and subscribe them to premium services without letting them know. As reported by Bleeping Computers, these apps are found to be infected with three dangerous malware families that we are familiar with - Joker malware, Facestealer, and Coper. Notably, there are 50 such banned dangerous apps on Google Play Store and you can check the full list in the article below.
Analysts have already informed Google about these, and the tech giant has immediately banned these apps. But the apps were already downloaded over 3 lakh times. Those who are still using these malicious apps must remove them and perform other safety measures to clean out the malware effect. Here’s how these malware work:
The Joker malware is a “Fleeceware” that infects popular apps and enter the user’s phone when the apps are downloaded. This malware simply subscribes users to paid services online without taking their permission. It can also click on online ads automatically. The most dangerous thing about this malware is it can even read OTPs from your SMS to secretly approve payments and users can’t even find that unless they check their bank statement.
The malicious trojan Facestealer uses social engineering to steal Facebook credentials and makes connections to a Russian server and give spyware full access to victims’ Facebook accounts and all data they contain, such as credit card details, conversations, searches, etc.
It is an information-stealing malware that can intercept SMS texts, logging text entered on the devices, perform overlay attacks, send malicious SMS texts, and exfiltrate data back to the attacker's servers.
Check the full list of dangerous apps on Google Play store
Simple Note Scanner - com.wuwan.pdfscan
Universal PDF Scanner - com.unpdf.scan.read.docscanuniver
Private Messenger - com.recollect.linkus
Premium SMS - com.premium.put.trustsms
Smart Messages - com.toukyoursms.timemessages
Text Emoji SMS - messenger.itext.emoji.mesenger
Blood Pressure Checker - com.bloodpressurechecker.tangjiang
Funny Keyboard - com.soundly.galaxykeyboard
Memory Silent Camera - com.silentmenory.timcamera
Custom Themed Keyboard - com.custom.keyboardthemes.galaxiy
Light Messages - com.lilysmspro.lighting
Themes Photo Keyboard - com.themes.bgphotokeyboard
Send SMS - exazth.message.send.text.sms
Themes Chat Messenger - com.relish.messengers
Instant Messenger - com.sbdlsms.crazymessager.mmsrec
Cool Keyboard - com.colate.gthemekeyboard
Fonts Emoji Keyboard - com.zemoji.fontskeyboard
Mini PDF Scanner - com.mnscan.minipdf
Smart SMS Messages - com.sms.mms.message.ffei.free
Creative Emoji Keyboard - com.whiteemojis.creativekeyboard.ledsloard
Fancy SMS - con.sms.fancy
Fonts Emoji Keyboard - com.symbol.fonts.emojikeyboards
Personal Message - com.crown.personalmessage
Funny Emoji Message - com.funie.messagremo
Magic Photo Editor - com.amagiczy.photo.editor
Professional Messages - com.adore.attached.message
All Photo Translator - myphotocom.allfasttranslate.transationtranslator
Chat SMS - com.maskteslary.messages
Smile Emoji - com.balapp.smilewall.emoji
Wow Translator - com.imgtop.camtranslator
All Language Translate - com.exclusivez.alltranslate
Cool Messages - com.learningz.app.cool.messages
Blood Pressure Diary - bloodhold.nypressure.mainheart.ratemy.mo.depulse.app.tracker.diary
Chat Text SMS - com.echatsms.messageos
Hi Text SMS - ismos.mmsyes.message.texthitext.bobpsms
Emoji Theme Keyboard - com.gobacktheme.lovelyemojikeyboard
iMessager - start.me.messager
Text SMS - com.ptx.textsms
Camera Translator - com.haixgoback.outsidetext.languagecameratransla
Come Messages - com.itextsms.messagecoming
Painting Photo Editor - com.painting.pointeditor.photo
Rich Theme Message - com.getmanytimes.richsmsthememessenge
Quick Talk Message - mesages.qtsms.messenger
Advanced SMS - com.fromamsms.atadvancedmmsopp
Professional Messenger - com.akl.smspro.messenger
Classic Game Messenger - com.classcolor.formessenger.sic
Style Message - com.istyle.messagesty
Private Game Messages - com.message.game.india
Timestamp Camera - allready.taken.photobeauty.camera.timestamp
Social Message - com.colorsocial.message
To protect yourself from these malwares, you must install only essential apps. Another thing that you must do is always read reviews before installing an app and trust only large well-known publishers. Additionally, read the permissions carefully that these apps asked upon installing.
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