Many Apps On The Google Play Store Contain Malware Infecting Thousands Of Users
There is a reason why iPhones like the iPhone SE 2023 and the iPhone 14 Pro Max are some of the most bought smartphones in the world. Moreover, there is a reason why most people in the world wish to buy an iPhone over Android smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and the OnePlus 12. The reason – the iPhone App Store apps are more secure compared to Android’s Google Play Store apps.
Moreover, to make Android smartphones seem worse than iPhones, antivirus maker McAfee recently conducted some app research. Here, they have found that there are more than a dozen apps on the Google Play Store that have malware in them.
However, this time, they have found out a specific malware – Xamalicious. This malware is a strong one that can steal sensitive data from your phone without your knowledge.
Moreover, the worst part about this is the fact that the dozen or so apps that have Xamalicious were downloaded at least 350,000 times. Therefore, there are 350,000 Android smartphones infected with this malware. Three hundred fifty thousand users are unaware hackers are stealing their sensitive personal data.
Most of these are users from countries like the USA, the UK, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, Mexico, Spain, and Germany. Here are the apps that are found to contain the virus:
- 3D Skin Editor for PE Minecraft (100,000 installs)
- Logo Maker Pro (100,000 installs)
- Essential Horoscope for Android (100,000 installs)
- Auto Click Repeater (10,000 installs)
- Dots: One Line Connector (10,000 installs)
- Count Easy Calorie Calculator (10,000 installs)
- Sound Volume Extender (5,000 installs)
Google has started to remove these apps from the Google Play Store, which is carried out region-wise. If you or anyone you know use these apps, uninstall them from your phone immediately, and ask others to do the same.
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