Dangerous malware found on 8 Google PLay Store apps that steal your data! Check list, delete now

‘Autolycos’ malware has now made its way to the Google Play Store, where it has been discovered to be packed with eight popular apps.

Android is a malware-prone operating system. Despite Google’s security efforts, Android devices being infected with malware or compromised is not unheard of.

‘Autolycos’ malware has now made its way to the Google Play Store, where it has been discovered to be packed with eight popular apps, resulting in over 3 million downloads.

Autolycos malware was found by security researcher Maxime Ingrao and originally reported by Bleeping Computer. The malware was discovered in at least eight Android apps, all of which have been removed by Google. According to sources, Google took six months from the initial acceptance of the report to remove these eight applications.

Instead of loading an external WebView, the virus words by executing URLs on a remote browser and injecting it on HTTP requests. It also seeks permission to read SMS content, allowing infected apps to view your text conversations, potentially allowing attackers to steal critical information such as banking details or one-time passwords (OTP).

The malicious programs were actively promoted on social media, where they were sent to users through ad campaigns. Infected programs include keyboard customisations, launcher apps, camera apps with filters, and other similar features. Two of the eight apps discovered to be infected had over a million downloads each.

 Here are the eight apps that have been found to have the malware on Google Play Store:

• Vlog Star Video Editor (1 million downloads)
• Creative 3D Launcher (1 million downloads)
• Wow Beauty Camera (100,000 downloads)
• Gif Emoji Keyboard (100,000 downloads)
• Razer Keyboard & Theme (10,000 downloads)
• Freeglow Camera 1.0.0 (5,000 downloads)
• Coco Camera v1.1 (1,000 downloads)
• Funny Camera by KellyTech (50,000 downloads)

If you have downloaded any of them, the first thing you should do is uninstall the app immediately. Users can also use their file explorer to look for the app’s name. If they discover a folder or any file related to the app, you should remove it and restart your smartphone. Users are also cautioned not to download apps from social media adverts unless they are from a well-known developer.

This story has not been edited by News Mania staff and is published from a syndicated feed

Photo: Internet