Recently detected malicious applications in the Google Play Store is rapidly removing. However, in spite of all the precautions taken, the fact that the applications do not go through the approval process unlike the App Store facilitates the work of malicious people.
ESET's security researchers have identified dozens of applications that malicious people aim to earn money by showing ads . These 42 applications, which have been downloaded more than 8 million times to date, are plaguing users.
These malicious applications, which mimic various applications such as Google and Facebook, look normal from the outside . However, random ads appear on the device's screen when the user installs this application.
It is a little more difficult to remove because the shortcuts are automatically deleted when installing applications. Especially if an inexperienced user has installed this application, they have to grapple with full-screen ads.
These applications include Video Download Master , which has been downloaded more than five million times, Ringtone Maker Pro, SaveInsta and Tank Classic, each downloaded more than 500,000 times. Although Google has removed most of these applications that have harmed users with annoying ads, researchers say there are currently harmful applications available.
In addition, security researchers say that a Vietnamese college student may be behind this ad virus.