Urgently uninstall these 11 applications from the Google Play Store that siphon your data

As cyberattacks increase exponentially, the Google Play Store is once again home to rogue applications.

Google has removed a dozen apps from its Android store after researchers determined they contained malware.

11 apps to delete urgently

Dangerous new apps have been discovered in the Play Store. Hardly a week goes by without computer security researchers finding malware in the Google Store. This was already the case with fake antiviruses capable of stealing their victim’s money, malware capable of seizing crypto-currencies or even malware that could use a smartphone’s microphone without the knowledge of users.

The one of the day was discovered by the experts at AppCensus. No less than 11 malicious applications were found, namely:

• Speed ​​Camera Radar

• Al-Moazin Lite

• Wi-Fi Mouse

• QR & Barcode Scanner

• Qibla Compass – Ramadan 2022

• Simple Weather & Clock Widget

• Handcent Next SMS-Text with MMS

• SmartKit 360

• Al Quran MP3 – 50 Reciters & Translation Audio

• Full Quran MP3 – 50 Languages ​​& Translation Audio

• Audiosdroid Audio Studio DAW

Over 60 million total downloads

A fairly varied list, ranging from weather apps, to QR Code readers or software for controlling your PC remotely. There are also several prayer applications for Muslims in the lot. Since removed from the Play Store, these popular and malicious applications all harbored malware capable of collecting personal and sensitive data from their victims. Telephone numbers, e-mail addresses, passwords, elements copied to the clipboard, conversations in the messaging system or even the history of movements via GPS location are all elements that the malicious software could compile.

The most worrying thing: they had a total of more than 60 million downloads, i.e. as many potential victims. Another alarming fact is that the code was written by a Panamanian company called Measurement Systems. The company, which defines itself as a specialist in collecting statistics, paid the creators of the applications to integrate its code into their software. In his investigation the WSJ pointed out that the company in question was a subsidiary of Vostrom, a subcontractor of several American security services. Following an interview request from the media, the American company was quickly disbanded. Some of the offending apps have already changed their code and are back on the Play Store.

Source : The Wall Street Journal