On the Google Play Store, there has been another discovery of a poor batch of Android apps that transmit malware and adware, as well as engage in phishing. These apps disguise themselves as system utilities and optimizers in order to deceive unwary users into downloading them, according to a report by Bleeping Computer (opens in new tab) and discovery by the antivirus company Dr. Web. Cybercriminals will probably continue to utilize useless system utilities as a hook to infect Android devices with malware and other viruses, as we’ve seen in the past with other dangerous apps on the Play Store.
Delete These Applications
Fortunately, Google has since deleted each of the harmful apps listed below from the Play Store. To prevent falling victim to any threats they might pose to your devices and your data, you should remove any of them that are still installed on your Android tablet or smartphone right away.
- Bluetooth device auto-connect – 1,000,000 downloads
- Bluetooth & Wi-Fi & USB driver – 100,000 downloads
- Volume, Music Equalizer – 50,000 downloads
- Fast Cleaner & Cooling Master – 500 downloads
TubeBox got more than one million downloads out of all the harmful apps that Dr. Web uncovered and discussed in its latest study (opens in new tab). The software claims to pay users for watching videos and advertisements, but it never does.
The program had a variety of flaws and issues that would keep users from getting awards even if they had accumulated the required quantity of coins. The authors of the program, according to Dr. Web’s security researchers, intentionally made it this way so that users would keep watching videos and advertisements and generate income for others but not themselves. The programs for Volume, Music Equalizer, Bluetooth & Wi-Fi & USB Driver, Fast Cleaner & Cooling Master, and got instructions to load particular websites in order to create phony ad impressions. Fast Cleaner & Cooling Master stands out among these adware programs since the hackers who created it may potentially utilize an infected device as a proxy server for their own traffic.
Dr. Web also discovered six different Russian lending apps that lured users to phishing websites where their personal data was captured and may be sold on the dark web while promising instant cash.
How to Avoid Being Harmed by Rogue Apps?
You need to make sure Google Play Protect is enabled and operating on your Android devices if you want to safeguard yourself from harmful apps available on the Play Store and other official app stores.
\This Google app is free and checks your installed apps as well as any new ones you download for viruses. For additional security, you can install one of the top Android antivirus programs.
You should carefully review each new app before downloading it since malicious apps occasionally manage to get past Google’s security measures. In addition to checking the app’s listing page for complaints, you should search for outside reviews as well as video reviews to make sure the app lives up to its promises.
Examining an app’s privacy policy and checking the developer’s website to confirm its legitimacy will allow you to delve even further.
In the end, though, restricting the number of apps you install on your devices is the simplest approach to protect yourself from dangerous apps. You should always consider whether you actually need an app before installing it.
It’s possible that your smartphone already includes the feature or functionality you’re looking for, or that it might be found in one of the standard apps that come with the top Android phones. Your risk of contracting malware or having your data stolen decreases the fewer apps you have installed.
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