8 Malware-Infested Apps Android Smartphone Users Must Delete Right Now

A French safety researcher has warned customers of Android smartphones in opposition to sure functions, which he mentioned comprise a “new family of malware”. There are eight such apps, researchers Maxime Ingrao mentioned on Twitter, which he has tracked since June final yr. He added that these functions have been downloaded greater than three million occasions (Google Play downloads included), he added. The malware has been recognized by Mr Ingrao as Autolycos and he additionally defined the way it infects the telephone in a Twitter thread.

Found new household of malware that subscribe to premium companies ????

8 functions since June 2021, 2 apps at all times in Play Store, +3M installs ????????

No webview like #Joker however solely http requests

Let’s name it #Autolycos ????#Android #Malware #Evina pic.twitter.com/SgTfrAOn6H

— Maxime Ingrao (@IngraoMaxime) July 13, 2022

The researcher mentioned that the malicious functions are extensively promoted by way of social media and reaches customers via campaigns. Users are enticed to obtain these apps with images of cool keyboard themes, nice-looking launcher apps and digital camera functions.

Google has deleted these functions from the Play Store, however their APK variations are nonetheless accessible on-line. “It retrieves a JSON on the C2 address: 68.183.219.190/pER/y. It then executes the urls, for some steps it executes the urls on a remote browser and returns the result to include it in the requests. This allows it not to have a Webview and to be more discrete,” Mr Ingrao mentioned in one among his tweets.

“To promote the applications, fraudsters create several Facebook pages and run ads on Facebook and Instagram,” he mentioned in a subsequent tweet.

The safety researcher additionally posted the screenshot of those cell functions in order that it turns into simple for Android customers to delete them from their telephones.

The eight harmful apps are:

1. Vlog Star Video Editor (com.vlog.star.video.editor, 1 million downloads)
2. Creative 3D Launcher (app.launcher.creative3d, 1 million downloads)
3. Funny Camera (com.okcamera.humorous, 500,000+ downloads)
4. Wow Beauty Camera (com.wowbeauty.digital camera, 100,000 downloads)
5. Gif Emoji Keyboard (com.gif.emoji.keyboard, 100,000 downloads)
6. Razer Keyboard & Theme (com.razer.keyboards, 10,000 downloads, not associated to the gaming/tech firm Razer)
7. Freeglow Camera 1.0.0 (com.glow.digital camera.open, 5,000 downloads)
8. Coco Camera v1.1 (com.toomore.cool.digital camera, 1,000 downloads)

If none of those functions are in your telephone, take into account your self fortunate.