Several malicious Android Apps removed from Google play store that posed as legitimate security tools and different category of android apps.
Exactly 36 apps are listed in this category that has actually performed similar tasks and also its performing dangerous activities such as secretly harvested user data, tracked user location, and aggressively pushed advertisements.
These 36 apps mimic under legitimate apps such as Security Defender, Security Keeper, Smart Security, Advanced Boost, and more.
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they have to advertise some of the futures including scanning, cleaning junk, saving battery, cooling the CPU, locking apps, as well as message security, WiFi security.
Also Read: LightsOut – Malicious Flashlight Apps on Google Play with Nearly 7.5 Million Downloads
How does this malicious Android Apps Works
Once it installed by the users, Apps will appear neither device launcher’s list of applications nor shortcuts in device screen.
so users can able to see only the notification security warnings and pop-up windows to the users.
These app designed for explicitly hide for the different type of Specific mobile devices such as LG, Xiaomi, Nexus, ZTE N958St etc.
So these malware’s are not doing any specific task in the above-listed mobile model’s and also malware authors designed this to evade the google play store security scan.
Security tools related malicious apps that listed within this 36 apps are showing fake scanning result to intimate to users that they are infected with some kind of malware.
But accroiding to the Trend Micro report, we found that most detection results from the notifications are false. For example, if the user installs another app, then it will immediately be reported as suspicious. Or the user will be sent notifications like “10.0 GB files are being wasted,” which will prompt some kind of action.
But the data shown in these messages are fake — they are just used to add a layer of legitimacy to the app.
Also, malware authors designed these apps to make users believe that they are actually infected by some kind of vulnerability by showing some of the animation with some vulnerability name.
Once its gains the user information, it is also able to collect the victim’s private data, including specific location details, and send them to a remote server.
Also, it shows many different advertisements, aggressive ads show up during many different scenarios.
All the malicious apps have been reported to Google and all the apps were removed from the Google Play Store.
