Around 500 apps infected with a dangerous Trojan were discovered in the Google Play Store. The applications have been downloaded millions of times by Android users.
An extremely dangerous scam Trojan has been roaming the Google Play Store for a period of two years. Zimperium security researchers discovered that the Dark Herring malware was hidden in 470 Android apps that were downloaded more than 100 million times. The damage is estimated at several hundred million US dollars.
Particularly dangerous: Victims of the scam were registered for more expensive subscriptions without them noticing. The costs were then deducted from the mobile phone bill afterwards, which is why the users often only noticed it months later.
Android updates on Samsung Galaxys: Users in Germany should now be able to get new versions faster
Android app scams: This is how users should react now
The apps affected included a number of popular games and programs, some of which had been downloaded up to 500,000 times. Some popular examples are Smashex, Stream HD, My Translator Pro or Football Legends. You can see the entire list of infected apps here.
The good news for users: Google has now removed all affected apps from the Play Store. In principle, there is still a risk for users of getting the Trojans onto their cell phones via sideloading, i.e. downloading them from unofficial sources. At the same time, users should now take a look at their installed apps and delete any malware apps from their devices as soon as possible.
Antivirus apps for Android tested: anti-malware tools and virus scanners for mobile phones
Shop recommendation for cell phones & smartphones
Offer from BestCheck.de | Prices incl. VAT plus shipping