While Google Play Store employs security measures to minimize the presence of harmful apps, some still manage to slip through the vetting process.
The discovery of these malicious apps underscores the importance of maintaining vigilance and taking precautions when downloading applications from app stores. Users were unknowingly victimized by these apps, as they operated silently in the background without user consent.
These tactics included creating the appearance of authenticity and requiring minimal user interaction to engage in malicious activities. The developers employed various deceptive tactics to enhance the popularity of their programs. Both apps were uploaded by the same publisher, identified as wang tom, the IANS report stated. The first app, called "File Recovery & Data Recovery," had over a million installs, while the second app, File Manager, had over 500,000 installs. Additionally, the apps gathered media content such as pictures, audio, and video, as well as real-time user location, mobile country code, network provider name, and more. The stolen data included contact lists, both from the device itself and connected accounts such as email and social networks.
Although the apps claimed not to collect any data on the Google Play website, the security researchers found that they collected highly personal information from users and sent it to multiple destinations, primarily located in China and identified as malicious.
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