Even after Google’s efforts to stop malicious apps from getting into the Google Play store app, many still escape being caught. These dangerous apps on Google Play Store have been downloaded 300,000 times by innocent phone users. Recently, Cyber security researchers at Zscaler’s Threat Labz have discovered three malware families targeting Phone users via malware containing Google Play store apps.
Installing these malicious apps allows cybercriminals to steal users’ data, take over their social media handles of users, access SMS, and subscribe them to premium services without letting them know. As reported by Bleeping Computers, these apps are found to be infected with three dangerous malware families that we are familiar with – Joker Malware, Facestealer, and Coper. Notably, there are 50 such banned dangerous apps on Google Play Store and you can check the full list in the article below.
Analysts have already informed Google about these, and the tech giant has immediately banned these apps. But the apps were already downloaded over 3 lakh times. Those who are still using these malicious apps must remove them and perform other safety measures to clean out the malware effect.
Here’s how these malware work:
Joker Malware:
The Joker malware is a “Fleeceware” that infects popular apps and enters the user’s phone when the apps are downloaded. This malware simply subscribes users to paid services online without taking their permission. It can also click on online ads automatically. The most dangerous thing about this malware is it can even read OTPs from your SMS to secretly approve payments and users can’t even find that unless they check their bank statements.
Facestealer:
The malicious trojan Facestealer uses social engineering to steal Facebook credentials and makes connections to a Russian server and give spyware full access to victims’ Facebook accounts and all data they contain, such as credit card details, conversations, searches, etc.
Coper malware:
It is an information-stealing malware that can intercept SMS texts, logging text entered on the devices, perform overlay attacks, send malicious SMS texts and, exfiltrate data back to the attacker’s servers.
Check the full list of the dangerous apps on the Google play store:
– Simple Note Scanner- com.wuwan.pdfscan
– Universal PDF Scanner- com.unpdf.scan.read.docscanuniver
– Private Messenger- com.recollect.linkus
– Premium SMS- com.premium.put.trustsms
– Smart Messages- com.toukyoursms.timemessages
– Text Emoji SMS- messenger.itext.emoji.messenger
– Blood Pressure Checker- com.bloddpressurechecker.tangjiang
– Funny Keyboard- com.soundly.galaxykeyboard
– Memory Silent Camera- com.silentmemory.timcamera
– Custom Themed Keyboard- com.custom.keyboardthemes.galaxiy
– Light Messages- com.lilysmspro.lighting
– Themes Photo Keyboard- com.themes.bgphotokeyboard
– Send SMS- exazth.message.send.text.sms
– Themes Chat Messenger- com.relish.messengers
– Instant Messenger- com.sbdlsms.crazymessager.mmsrec
– Cool Keyboard- com.colate.gthemekeyboard
– Fonts Emoji Keyboard- com.zemoji.fontskeyboard
– Mini PDF Scanner- com.mnscan.minipdf
– Smart SMS Messages- com.sms.mms.message.ffei.free
– Creative Emoji Keyboard- com.whoteemojis.creativekeyboard.ledsloard
– Fancy SMS- com.sms.fancy
– Fonts Emoji Keyboard- com.symbol.fonts.emojikeyboards
– Personal Message- com.crown.personalmessage
– Funny Emoji Message- com.funie.messagremo
– Magic Photo Editor- com.amagiczy.photo.editor
– Professional Messages- com.adore.attached.message
– All Photo Translator- myphotocom.allfasttranslate.transationtranslator
– Chat SMS- com.maskteslary.messages
– Smile Emoji- com.balapp.smilewall.emoji
– Wow Translator- com.imgtop.camtranslator
– All Language translate- com.exclusivez.alltranslate
– Cool Messages- com.learningz.app.cool.messages
– Blood Pressure Dairy- bloodhold.nypressure.mainheart.ratemy.mo.depulse.app.tracker.dairy
– Chat Text SMS- com.echatsms.messageos
– Hi Text SMS- – ismos.mmsyes.message.texthitext.bobpsms
– Emoji Theme Keyboard- com.gobacktheme.lovelyemojikeyboard
– iMessenger- start.me.messager
– Text SMS- com.ptx.textsms
– Camera Translator- com.haixgoback.outsidetext.languagecameratransla
– Come Messages- com.itextsms.messagecoming
– Painting Photo Editor- com.painting.pointeditor.photo
– Rich Theme Message- com.getmanytimes.richsmsthememessenge
– Quick Talk Message- message.qtsms.messenger
– Advanced SMS- com.fromamsms.atadvancedmmsopp
– Professional Messenger- com.akl.smspro.messenger
– Classic Game Messenger- com.classcolor.formessenger.sic
– Style Message- com.istyle.messagesty
– Private Game Messages- com.message.game.india
– Timestamp Camera- already.taken.photobeauty.camera.timestamp
– Social Message- com.colorsocial.message
How to stay safe?
To protect yourself from this malware, you must install only essential apps. Another thing that you must do is always read reviews before installing an app and trust only large well known publishers. Additionally, read the permissions carefully that these apps asked upon installing.
