These 100 spyware-infected apps on Play Store downloaded 400mn+ times! Check list, delete now

Security researchers have discovered new spyware embedded in over 100 Android apps that have 400 million downloads on the Google Play Store. Here’s what we know.

This spyware infected over 100 Android apps on the Google Play Store. (Unsplash)

If you've ever come across spin wheels in apps that offer rewards on a daily basis, then you're not alone. Hundreds, if not thousands of apps on the Google Play Store have similar apps which offer rewards for daily login through spin wheels. However, there is a cause to be wary as a recent report has revealed that a new malware is being distributed as a software development kit (SDK) for advertisers, and over 100 apps on the Google Play Store have been infected by it.

According to a report by BleepingComputer, researchers at Dr. Web have discovered spyware called ‘SpinOk' in over 100 Android apps. This spyware is capable of stealing private data stored on Android smartphones and sending it to a remote server. The report further states that this spyware is disguised as the SDK module and seems legitimate at first glance. It offers daily rewards to users through minigames such as spin wheels.

The SpinOk spyware can also access the phone's sensor data from the gyroscope and magnetometer to determine whether it is running on a phone. This spyware has infected over 100 apps on the Google Play Store with combined downloads crossing 400 million. Although most of them have been removed already, if any of these apps are on your smartphone, researchers suggest that you remove them immediately.

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Top 10 infected apps with the most downloads

1. Noizz: video editor with music - 100 million downloads
2. Zapya - File Transfer, Share - 100 million downloads
3. vFly: video editor&video maker - 50 million downloads
4. MVBit - MV video status maker - 50 million downloads
5. Biugo - video maker&video editor - 50 million downloads
6. Crazy Drop - 10 million downloads
7. Cashzine - Earn money reward - 10 million downloads
8. Fizzo Novel - Reading Offline - 10 million downloads
9. CashEM: Get Rewards - 5 million downloads
10. Tick: watch to earn - 5 million downloads

While Google Play Store offers millions of apps for Android users, cybercriminals see this as a lucrative opportunity to target innocents to steal their data and even dupe them of their money with malware that are secretly embedded in various apps. Despite Google's best attempts, some potentially harmful apps often slip under the radar.