Your Smartphone Can Be Hacked Anytime,If You Have One Of These 22 Android Apps

Before November attackers were using them to serve ads generating clicks to earn money

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Thought Google has it’s Google Play protect to check its apps on play store whether they contain harmful viruses or not, but there are hackers do get through. A bunch of virus containing apps got onto the Google Play store in past two years, which contains the virus to gain access to user’s phone.

In a study by antivirus provider Sophos, more than 20 apps with more than 2 million downloads were discovered on the play store, containing virus that allows them to download files from a hacker controlled-server.

Manish Kumawat, director at Cryptus Cyber Security Pvt Ltd, said: "These apps include non-description titles like Zombie Killer, Sparkle Flashlight, Table Soccer these apps have more than 1 million downloads since they appeared on the store in 2016. According to the antivirus provider Sophos, it was a year later in march this year, Sparkle Flashlight and 2 other apps were updated to include the malicious Virus that can provide the hacker to access the users phone. The other 19 apps were introduced to the play store with the background downloader at the start, sometime after June this year.

"Google removed these apps, but only by November this year. But, before November attackers were using them to serve ads generating clicks to earn money. Once opened up, these ads would run continuously in background without the knowledge of user, even if tried to close forcefully, draining both Internet data and batteries.

"Since these virus provide connection to the hacker, they can also be used to force a smartphone to run harmful code, stealing a person’s data in the process.

"While Google has deleted these malicious apps from its Google play store, the Person that downloaded it before still using it, stilling infecting the user. So if you’ve downloaded any of these following apps, you need to remove immediately."

The apps are: 

* Sparkle Flashlight
* Snake Attack
* Math Solver
* Shape Sorter
* Tak A Trip
* Magnifeye
* Join Up
* Zombie Killer
* Space Rocket
* Neon Pong
* Just Flashlight
* Table Soccer
* Cliff Diver
* Box Stack
* Jelly Slice
* AK Blackjack
* Color Tiles
* Animal Match
* Roulette Mania
* HexaFall
* HexaBlocks
* PairZap

Still not sure if uninstalling these apps will keep you secure in the future, but it should be a start.


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smartphone hacked android apps

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