Google Removes 85 Adware Apps That Infect 9 Million Android Users

Google has removed 85 apps from its Play Store after finding
out that they were pushing aggressive, full-screen adware to
Android users.

With the rise in the mobile market, Adware has become one of the
most prevalent mobile threats in the world. Adware has
traditionally been used to aggressively push ads like banners or
pop-ups on mobile screens to make money for its makers.

The now-removed 85 apps in question disguised as games,
streaming TV, and remote control simulator apps in the Google Play
store and had collectively been installed by nine million users all
over the world.

Researchers from cyber security company Trend Micro spotted
these apps which has the ability to bombard user devices with
full-screen advertisements at regular intervals or when users
unlock their device by monitoring their screen unlocking
functionality.

The apps can display ads even when you are not browsing the
internet, hide themselves and run in the background on infected
devices.

The most popular fake app in the list was Easy Universal TV Remote,
which was downloaded more than 5 million times before it was
removed, had a solid 4-star rating from over 100,000 users with
review section being populated with complaints from users.

Other apps included Police Chase Extreme City 3D Game, Prado
Parking City 3D Game, Moto Racing, Parking Game, TV WORLD, SPORT
TV, A/C Air Conditioner Remote, Garage Door Remote Control and many
more.

Trend Micro researchers tested each app and discovered that
though the apps came from different developers and had different
APK cert public keys, most shared the same or similar code and
often were similarly named.

The ads will show up uncontrollably, as at every move, tap or
click, the fake apps eventually end up displaying an ad that
generates money for their maker.

Even after a few seconds, the app disappears from the user’s
screen and hides its icon on the user’s device, but still runs in
the background. The hidden adware apps then show a full-screen ad
every 15 or 30 minutes on the user’s device.
Trend Micro researchers reported their findings to Google, who
promptly removed them from its Play store after verifying the
report. However, those users who have already installed one such
app on their mobile handsets can remove it manually, but it’s not
as easy as it sounds.

While adware is becoming more aggressive a sophisticated these
days, the risk is a bit higher on Android operating system than
other platforms because of the extra permissions apps enjoy.

Although Google has stepped up its efforts to remove potentially
harmful apps from its Play Store in the past years and added more
stringent malware checks for new apps, Adware app eventually finds
its way into its mobile app marketplace to target millions of
Android users.

The easiest way to prevent yourself from falling victim to such
attacks in the future is to always beware of fishy applications,
even when downloading them from official Play Store and try to
stick to the trusted brands only.

Moreover, always look at the app reviews left by other users who
have downloaded the app, and also verify app permissions before
installing any app and grant only those permissions that are
relevant for the app’s purpose.

Last but not the least, you are strongly advised to always keep
a good antivirus app on your Android device that can detect and
block such malicious activities before they can infect your device,
and keep your device and apps up-to-date.