Malicious apps in Google play that tricks the user to download additional apps in the background that display ads in the infected device.
Security researcher Lukas Stefanko discovered the 13 such malicious in Google play with more than 560,000+ installs. Among the identified 13 apps, 2 apps are in trending list.
The main purpose of these malicious apps is to download and install additional apps that display annoying ads in the victim devices.
Once these apps launched it hides icon in the device and downloads other apps in the background and request the user’s to install it.
According to Stefanko analysis on downloaded Game center apk file, the app will hide after the launch and then display ads once the device is unlocked.
App functionality demonstration pic.twitter.com/11HskeD56S
— Lukas Stefanko (@LukasStefanko) November 19, 2018
After installing the Game center asks for full network permission to monitor the connections running and to view all the connection from the device.
All those 13 files are empty shells and they are uploaded to Google play to trick the victims in installing the final payload Game Center.
Stefanko reported the malicious app to the Google security team and all the apps has been removed from the play store now.
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