We’re not strangers to the fact malware can be disguised as mobile apps. What we can’t wrap around our mind is the idea the Google Play Store is still as not as safe and secure. The tech giant has been doing a number of efforts to protect app developers and mobile users by updating policies and removing apps from the Play Store. For some, permissions are being removed while violations cause many apps to be unpublished. Google has been coming up with several programs to improve the whole ecosystem.
Malware has crept into the Play Store and sad to say, about half a million Android users have installed such by being duped. Several driving games published on the app store are actually malware. Thirteen apps were made by the same developer.
Total downloads and installs, when combined, reached 580,000. Google was already informed of the situation. The tech giant quickly responded and removed these apps from the app store.
What the games bring are buggy apps that crash every time they are launched. What’s supposed to happen in the background was to download malware and then delete the app’s icon.
We have no clear idea how the malware affects the phones but it launches every time a device is started. It then offers full access to network traffic which can then allow anyone to steal data.
The malware-filled apps are all connected to Mert Ozek (or Luiz O Pinto) from Istanbul. The developer has no response to any request for an interview.
VIA: TechCrunch
