After a report from the Czech security company Avast found 21 applications with malware, Google proceeded to remove them from its app store. All were infected with the malware known as HiddenAds.
This type of malware known as "adware" works by displaying excessive and intrusive advertisements and opening mobile browsers to advertising pages.
Jakub Vávra from Avast said that the applications in question were designed to mimic popular games. The criminals behind them attracted downloads using social media and video sites like YouTube and TikTok.
Once the user installed any of these applications, the HiddenAds malware hid the icon, making it difficult to delete, and began bombarding the ads.
As far as is known, they have so far been downloaded by eight million people.
Android applications with malware. Tips to avoid them
From Avast they give us the following advice:
Read reviews
If an app is a scam, then other users have probably already noticed and have left bad reviews. Therefore, it is best to read them.
Another clue the Avast team found is that malicious app developers have more apps than downloads and reviews, and the few reviews they do have are often suspiciously enthusiastic.
Pay attention to the price
I have to say, this tip surprised me. I would have thought deceptive apps should be cheaper. but according to the Avast specialist it is the opposite.
According to them, If the price seems strangely high for what you are getting, it is probably a scam.
Many of these applications offer basic or unrealistic features, such as simple games that claim to surprise players, or wallpapers for about $ 8, a very high amount considering that games and features like this are often offered for free by others. developers ",
Review permissions
Android establishes a series of permissions to access different functionalities of the device and forces the user to grant them to the applications that are installed.
That is why malicious applications request permissions that they do not need for what they are supposed to do. It is against the rules of the Google app store, but it is still being done.
That is why instead of simply clicking on Allow we must ask ourselves if the application really needs to access that functionality.
Talk to children about safety
One of the most damaging myths of the XNUMXst century is that of "digital natives." The idea that because children easily operate devices they know everything there is to know about how to operate them.
By the way, the parents of whom we grew up in the 80s would never have thought that because we knew how to set the time on the VCR, they should not monitor the movies we rented.
LThose responsible for this type of crime choose to promote their applications in the places that young people frequent, like YouTube and TikTok, because they are usually good targets for this type of scam.
That is why Avast recommends talking to them about the issue and even forcing them to ask for permission before installing something.
The list of deleted apps
- shoot them
- Crush car
- Rolling scroll
- Helicopter Attack
- Assassin legend
- Helicopter shoot
- Rugby pass
- Flying skateboard
- iron it
- Shooting run
- Plant monsters
- Find Hidden
- Find 5 differences
- Rotate shape
- Jump jump
- Find the Differences - Puzzle Game
- Sway man
- Money destroyer
- desert against
- Cream Trip
- Rescue Props
At the time, application stores (a derivation of Linux repositories and package managers) had been heralded as the ultimate solution to computer security problems caused by downloading unknown applications. However, they not only failed to solve these problems but also attracted new ones such as obstacles to applications that compete with those developed by the person responsible for the operating system or the abuse of the dominant position by imposing arbitrary conditions on developers.
At least Android allows you to use alternative app stores.