Google removes 34 malware-infected apps from Play Store in 'security cleanup'

On October 3, Google removed as many as 34 apps with 120,000 downlos that were infected with a malware from its marketplace between July and September. tech giant issued an visory to immediately delete se 34 ‘dangerous’ apps. Since February, Google has been on a perpetual mission to clean up malware targetted apps on play store to make android’s use safe for customers. company removed nearly 600 apps removed from its storefront, according to a release. 

Earlier in 2017, software firm Google h identified Bre aka Joker carrying out a billing fraud of massive scale via targeting SMS. In latest, malware infected several apps that Google h to pull from store for safety of customers. malware targeted applications were cleaned from Play Store since over last few months as threat is kwn to extend to android coding, which it modifies, eventually bypassing play store’s security. 

According to a report by security researchers at Israeli cybersecurity firm Check Point Research, apps infected with malware t only breach users’ privacy but also allow or harmful malware to downlo to device posing risks of cyber fraud. Joker is one of most prominent malware that recently me it to Google’s app marketplace with ticeable coding modifications performed by hackers. While apps have been taken down, Google vised in a statement to manually uninstall m to remove m permanently from device. 

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Avoid detection by Google

Security researchers explained in Check Point Research report that  “malicious actor behind Joker opted an old technique from conventional PC threat landscape and used it in mobile app world to avoid detection by Google.” Furr, malware targets premium subscription on marketplace via tification Listener service and a dynamic dex file. “ latter relies on C&C server to perform registration of user to services,” as per report. “Originally, code that was responsible for communicating with C&C and downloing dynamic dex file was located inside main classes.dex file, but w functionality of original classes.dex file includes loing new paylo.” malware infected at least 11 and an ditional 6 apps later in month of September after it came under rar of California-based IT security company Zscaler. 

Here is list of 34 apps:

•  All Good PDF Scanner
•  Mint Leaf Mess-Your Private Mess
•  Unique Keyboard – Fancy Fonts & Free Emoticons
•  Tangram App Lock
•  Direct Messenger
•  Private SMS
•  One Sentence Translator – Multifunctional Translator
•  Style Photo Coll
•  Meticulous Scanner
•  Desire Translate
• Talent Photo Editor – Blur focus
• Care Mess
• Part Mess
• Paper Doc Scanner
• Blue Scanner
• Hummingbird PDF Converter – Photo to PDF
• All Good PDF Scanner
• com.imcompress.android
• com.relax.relaxation.androidsms
• com.file.recovefiles
• com.training.memorygame
• Push Mess- Texting & SMS
• Fingertip GameBox
• com.contact.withme.texts
• com.cheery.mess.sendsms (two different instances)
• com.LPlocker.lockapps
• Safety AppLock
• Emoji Wallpaper
• com.hmvoice.friendsms
• com.peason.lovinglovemess
• com.remindme.alram
• Convenient Scanner 2
• Separate Doc Scanner

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