There's a fresh Android alert and this could be one of the most serious ever seen. Cyber security experts at Dr Web, say they have discovered a swathe of hugely popular applications that have the ability to spy on users and steal highly personal data.
What makes this latest warning so scary is the number of times these applications have been downloaded.
According to Dr Web, it's thought around 100 Android apps have been infected with the vicious spyware with them installed a whopping 400 million times. That's one of the largest attacks ever seen.
Once the bug, named SpinOK, is dropped onto a device it can set about stealing data which is then sent straight to servers controlled by cyber crooks.
It's currently unclear if the developers of the infected apps knew that their products had become riddled with the spyware but Google hasn't hung around with many instantly removed from its Play Store.
Even those that are still available to download have almost certainly been updated so it's vital that users check the full list to see if their devices may have been compromised.
If you think you've installed one of the applications named by Dr Web, it might be wise to simply remove it or check to see if it's had a recent update.
Here are some of the apps affected by the SpinOK bug. You can see the full list here
Noizz: video editor with music - Downloaded 100 million times
Zapya - File Transfer, Share -Downloaded 100 million times
vFly: video editor&video maker -Downloaded 50 million times
MVBit - MV video status maker - Downloaded 50 million times
Biugo - video maker&video editor -Downloaded 50 million times
Crazy Drop - Downloaded 10 million times
Cashzine - Earn money reward - Downloaded 10 million times
Fizzo Novel - Reading Offline - Downloaded 10 million times
CashEM: Get Rewards - Downloaded 5 million times
Tick: watch to earn - Downloaded 5 million times
Explaining more about the attack, Dr Webb said: "We discovered an Android software module with spyware functionality. It collects information on files stored on devices and is capable of transferring them to malicious actors.
"It can also substitute and upload clipboard contents to a remote server. Dubbed Android.Spy.SpinOk in accordance with Dr.Web classification, this module is distributed as a marketing SDK. Developers can embed it into all sorts of apps and games, including those available on Google Play."
How to delete apps from your phone
• Open the Google Play Store app .
• At the top right, tap the profile icon.
• Tap Manage apps and devices. Manage.
• Tap the name of the app that you want to delete.
•Tap Uninstall.
