Tech giant Google has reportedly removed 16 apps from its Play Store after receiving a report that the apps were draining battery power and using more data than usual. According to a report by Ars Technica, these apps were detected by McAfee. Now removed, the apps were previously listed on Google Play Store as utility apps and provided legitimate functions including flashlight, camera, QR reading and measurement conversions.
Which app did Google remove?
The list of applications detected by McAfee includes
– BusanBus
-Joycode
– Currency converter
– High speed camera
– Smart task manager
– Flashlight +
– K-Dictionary
– Quick Note
-EzDica
– Instagram profile downloader
-Ez Notes
Once opened, these apps downloaded additional code onto users’ devices, allowing them to commit ad fraud. The infected device then received notifications to open web pages in the background, clicking links and advertisements without alerting the user.
The security company said that some of these apps come with an ad code named com.liveposting. This code acts as an agent and runs hidden advertising services. While other apps had an additional library called com.click.cas which focused on automated click functionality. In order to hide their fraudulent behavior, these apps waited about an hour after installation before running the libraries, he said.
“Primarily, it involves visiting websites that are delivered by FCM message and browsing them successively in the background while mimicking user behavior,” McAfee’s SangRyol Ryu writes. for the threat author behind this malware,” he adds.
Google has removed apps from its Play Store. In a statement to Ars Technica, a Google spokesperson confirmed that all apps reported by McAfee had been removed. “Users are also protected by Google Play Protect, which blocks these apps on Android devices,” the spokesperson said.
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