A number of infected Google Play Store apps have been discovered by security experts and were capable of stealing your pictures.
Android users are being warned about a sinister secret a number of Google Play Store apps have been hiding.
Security experts Trend Micro have put out a warning about dozens of Android apps that were found on the Google Play Store.
These nefarious Android apps posed as ‘beauty camera’ programs, but held a much more sinister motive.
The malicious apps pushed adverts onto infected devices with fraudulent and pornographic content as well as redirecting users to phishing websites.
These apps were downloaded millions of times, and some of them even collected selfies taken on infected devices which sent to servers elsewhere.
How the Infected Apps Works
In a post online, Lorin Wu – Trend Micro’s mobile threats analyst – said:
“Some of these have already been downloaded millions of times, which is unsurprising given the popularity of these kinds of apps.”
“Further investigation led to another batch of photo filter-related apps that share similar behavior on Google Play.
“These apps seemingly allow users to ‘beautify’ their pictures by uploading them to the designated server.
However, instead of getting a final result with the edited photo, the user gets a picture with a fake update prompt in nine different languages.
The authors can collect the photos uploaded in the app, and possibly use them for malicious purposes — for example as fake profile pics on social media.”
These apps found on the Google Play Store also evaded users trying to uninstall them by hiding from the application list after getting installed.
Trend Micro said a large number of the installs for these malicious apps originated in Asia – particularly in India.
The apps have now been removed from the Google Play Store.
If you’re wondering whether you have any of these malicious apps on your phone, head to this post from Trend Micro to find a full list of the nefarious apps.
I think andriod should tight up security when it comes to security of their users on playstore. Software should be checked properly b4 consumed by the public.
Yomi, please how can I get unlimited coins and diamonds on the game, “Sniper 3d” without paying for them. Thanks.
Android and security issue are 5 & 6.
I’m not really a fan of a these beauty apps.
Wonder what they want to use the pictures for
Someone cannot have virgin privacy again….
Security wahala. When we have not finish dealing with boko haram. This one too is showing face… ??????
Android with security issues, smh
And I like beauty apps like mad got so many of them on my phone ?
What are they doing about it
As much as i dont use these apps, security is still very important when it comes to me and my device. Thanks for sharing
Just have Snapseed on your phone. All these other ones are scam
May God help us all
No one is secure anymore
Sinister motive all over us in this world, where are going to find security and safety?
Now pictures are being kidnapped again.
Thats how your pishure will be travelling without visa.. I dont like them beauty cameras sef..
Hope Google know about this and remove them from Googleplay
People don’t really care about that anymore. It is sad that privacy is no longer a thing of a concern.
Google can’t do much on this kind situation
I mean android alow us to install unknown source with rooting our phones ?
So with that those apps will surely find there ways
with Android everything is naked
this not good at all