A recent malware attack on several popular Android apps has meant security experts have urged its users to 'check their phones immediately' whilst issuing a security warning.
Reports state that the malware has the ability to perform tasks on phones without the prior consent of owners, who at the moment are mostly based in South Korea.
Spokespeople for the team at McAfee Mobile Security have stated that if a 'contaminated app' is installed, then fraudsters can potentially access Wi-Fi history, see the Bluetooth devices connected to the device and, scarily, nearby GPS locations.
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As well as the nefarious possibilities listed above, the malware also performs 'ad fraud', whereby background adverts will be clicked on without the user's knowledge to bank cash; this may eventually be noticed by users as it results in an overload of data, thus potentially slowing your device down considerably. It is also a way for the hackers to make money.
As a result, users are being asked to check devices for infected apps with concerns the applications have been downloaded millions of times, reports the Mirror.
A spokesperson for McAfee said: "The research team has found more than 60 applications containing this third-party malicious library, with more than 100 million downloads."
Developers at Google are already telling developers to fix their apps or see them banned from its app store after McAffee's research team informed the US tech behemoth, and whilst some acted with near-immediate effect, others have still been found to contain malicious software and, as a result, over 30 of them have been blocked.
"We reported the discovered apps to Google, which took prompt action," said McAfees' SangRyol Ryu.
"Google has reportedly notified the developers that their apps are in violation of Google Play policies and fixes are needed to reach compliance. Some apps were removed from Google Play while others were updated by the official developers."
As earlier stated, the issue has mostly affected users in South Korea and there are no reports of UK users being hit by the bug, but it's still a reminder to all Android users to take care before installing new apps onto their devices.
Always check the reviews, make sure you trust the developer and if you notice your phone's behaviour change after an installation it might be worth considering hitting the delete button.
It's worth ensuring that any applications third-party providers are rigorously screen beforehand, as this software often doesn't go through the same thorough checks made by Google's Play Store.
Apps that are now banned
The apps such as InfinitySolitaire, Snake Ball Lover, Swipe Brick Breaker 2, UBhind: Mobile Tracker Manager, Bounce Brick Breaker, Infinite Slice, Compass 9: Smart Compass, and more have been removed from Google Play Store. The developers of apps such as Money Manager Expense & Budget, GOM Player, Korea Subway Info: Metroid, Money Manager, and more have updated them. People can check out the full list of apps here.
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