Google removes 17 apps from Play Store

September 30, 2020 Hot from the Oven Valli Sarvani No comments

It is quite common for people to download useful applications on Google Play Store with a notion that they are safe. However, not all applications may be safe. If security researchers find the threat and warn, then only the users can realize that they are not safe.

Now it was found that 17 apps on Google Play Store were posing threat to personal data of the users. Due to their privacy breach, Google Play Store decided to ban these 17 applications from its platform.

As per the report of a cybersecurity firm, these apps contained malware that sends crucial data and information of the users continuously.

Zscaler’s security researchers state that Joker Malware was stealing personal details like contact information, device information, and personal messages. The users of this app are not aware of this. This app also was signing up for premium wireless application services (WAP) without the knowledge of the users.

The identified malicious applications are as follows:

All Good PDF Scanner, Blue Scanner, Care Message, Direct Messenger, Desire translate, Hummingbird PDF converter – Photo to PDF, Mint-leaf message, Meticulous scanner, One sentence translator — Multifunctional translator, Part Message, Paper Doc Scanner, Private SMS, Style Photo College, Tangram Applock, Unique Keyboard, and Talent photo editor — Blur focus.

Zscaler said that nearly 120,000 people downloaded these 17 apps from the Play Store. They were infected by snooping malware.

Earlier also, Google Play Store revoked the access of six applications when they were found to be malicious by a cybersecurity firm.

Google claimed that more than 17,000 apps have been taken down since 2017. These malware applications pose a major threat to users. There is a security scan for each application when placed on Google Play Store. However, these apps bypass the security scan using a technique, Dropper.

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