Google Expels More Apps From The Play Store
Google can’t seem to catch a break as the company is forced yet again remove twenty-five more apps from the Play Store for being involved in malicious practices. This follows two previous instances where the search company was forced to expelled several Android Apps caught preying on unsuspecting users.
Symantec discovered the apps in question and the security firm said it was reviewing apps on the Android app download platform when it discovered several programs sharing identical malicious code structure.
Pretending to be innocent Photo and Fashion-centric apps, these programs immediately executes a code that hides their icon and displays full-screen ads.
Furthermore, the code executes in such a manner that users can’t exactly identify the source of the full-screen ads, which are displayed even after the app that initiated them is closed.
The apps aren’t necessarily shipped with the ad-triggering code but instead rely on a remote switch which when activated, connects to a remote server where the code is then executed.
This isn’t the first time an app was caught using this walkaround the security barriers put in place by Google and it is a bit concerning that there is an uptake in the number of malicious programs slipping through the company’s vetting process.
Nearly all twenty-five apps being booted shared similar malicious code pointing to a single organization. The developers also take several steps to maximize reach by having two variations of the same app.
One being the clean version while the other is the malware infested version.
This allows the app to stay undetected for long periods where users that manually search for the app on the Play Store have a 50-50 chance of landing on the ad-
triggering offering.
This should be a wake-up call for Google and the company needs to either revamp or update its vetting process as developers with malicious intent are always going to attempt preying on the innocent.
