Even though the Google Play Store has multiple layers of security, there are still elements that can harm your mobile devices. Malwarebytes Labs has discovered four such apps containing stealth malware. Unfortunately, using these apps can lead to phishing scams that can steal sensitive information you may not want others to have access to. Hackers make money off of them through a pay-per-click system.
The creator of these four popular apps has amassed over a million downloads: the Mobile apps group. Security researchers found that despite Google Play’s assurances, each application has the “Android/Trojan.HiddenAds” line of code & begins injecting malicious activities 72 hours after installation. Let’s get some additional information about this.
Get Rid of These 4 Apps Right Away
Here are the four apps: Bluetooth Auto Connect (1 million downloads), Bluetooth App Sender (50,000 downloads), Driver: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB (10,000 downloads), and Mobile transfer: clever switch (over 1,000 downloads). More information about the app is provided below.
- Bluetooth Auto Connect
- Driver: Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, USB
- Bluetooth App Sender
- Mobile transfer: smart switch
How These 4 Apps Steal Your Information?
You can simply find these apps on Google Play. If you have previously installed these, please uninstall them immediately. According to the investigation, installing one of these apps is like gambling with your data because it promises a secure Bluetooth connection with any device when in reality it contains malware. This may be a means by which malicious actors evade detection by Google Play.
After 3-4 days, the software starts sending users to phishing websites in Google Chrome, regardless of whether or not the device is unlocked. The malicious link will load in the first tab, and then another website will load in a third tab. Even risqué content may load in some cases. As seen in the screenshot below, the app notifies users of the possibility of infection on their phones & recommends that they download a cleaning. Install and Cancel are your two choices. Do not click any of the buttons; doing so will result in the opening of yet another phishing website.
When you click on a button on one of these sites, you may be taken to another website that the hacker has set up to make money. These apps lure users into giving up personal information or clicking on ads using a pay-per-click business model. A hacker benefits monetarily every time you use a link.
While we wait for a response from the developers, it’s probably best to keep them at bay until they can explain the circumstances around the charges.
