Over 60 Million Devices Affected: Google Issues Warning, Virus Found in 330 Apps

Google has detected a dangerous malware believed to have infected over 60 million devices on average. Android users are urged to immediately remove these apps from their devices!

Every year, Google identifies thousands of malicious apps. The tech giant, which has a large in-house team in addition to working with cybersecurity companies, quickly detects apps containing harmful software and reports them. This allows Google to remove these apps from the store to prevent users from downloading them. However, a recent malicious software was silently sneaked into the Play Store. This malware, hidden in 330 apps, jeopardizes personal data. Upon warnings from several cybersecurity companies, Google removed these apps from the store. However, if these apps were already installed on devices, the risk still remains.

If any of the apps that Google has blocked are installed on your devices, it’s important to remove them immediately. These apps could potentially expose sensitive data, such as bank account passwords, social media credentials, and more, to malicious hackers.

So, what are these apps? After notifying Google, cybersecurity company Bitdefender identified some of the most risky ones. While the company did not share the entire list of 330 apps, it provided warnings about the following apps that should be removed if found on devices.

Cybersecurity firm IAS Threat Lab stated, “IAS Threat Lab uncovered a comprehensive and sophisticated ad fraud scheme called Vapor, which uses fake Android apps to distribute intrusive full-screen video ads.” The company emphasized that Vapor exploits unsuspecting users and advertising networks on a large scale, posing a highly organized threat.

Bitdefender, on the other hand, flagged a total of 331 apps as potential threats, ranging from QR scanners and fitness apps to battery-saving tools and daily trackers.

Bitdefender further warned, “These apps show irrelevant ads and attempt to deceive victims to steal login credentials and credit card information.” While Google has blocked all reported harmful software, users who had previously downloaded these apps should remain vigilant.

Here are the apps to remove from your devices:

• AquaTracker, ClickSave Downloader, Scan Hawk, Water Time Tracker, and Be More – each has been downloaded over 1 million times.
• BeatWatch, TranslateScan, and Handset Locator – apps that have been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times.

Lastly, Google has once again urged Android users to regularly perform virus scans on their devices.

Source: dailyrecord.co.uk