Google has recently removed many malicious Android apps from the Google Play Store after receiving reports that they had abused the privacy policy.
Application store management organizations like Google and Apple have strict application quality control measures, but the publishers have many ways to bypass the censorship.
Specifically, at least 38 applications have been identified by Google to have bad behaviors lately. They often invade users’ devices with irrelevant ads. It is worth mentioning that all these applications are from one development team. This group has bypassed the Google censorship layer by disabling malicious advertising features within the source code.
Play Store: Google has removed 38 malicious apps! uninstall them urgently
The malicious applications have been detected by the security company White Ops. After discovering the problem, the company reported it to Google and suggested the applications to be removed. Most of the malicious apps this time are related to beauty apps, selfies, or image filters. Once installed, these applications will bombard users with excessive advertising, constantly opening a browser and redirecting to certain websites and even preventing users from uninstalling the apps by hiding the application icon on the screen.
Despite Google’s quick removal response, White Ops said there were 17 apps with a total of over half a million downloads. The majority of malicious apps are a new version of an app that was previously available on the Play Store but removed. These applications trick Google by cleaning the application to be accepted again, but then send the dirty code again through an update package. All applications mentioned by White Ops have now been removed. In addition, we recommend you to check the list below and delete the apps in case you already installed it.
Here is the list of malicious apps
- Yoroko Camera
- Solu Camera
- Lite Beauty Camera
- Beauty Collage Lite
- Beauty & Filters Camera
- Photo Collage & Beauty Camera
- Beauty Camera Selfie Filter
- Gaty Beauty Camera
- Pand Selife Beauty Camera
- Catoon Photo Editor & Selfie Beauty Camera
- Benbu Selife Beauty Camera
- Pinut Selife Beauty Camera & Photo Editor
- Mood Photo Editor & Selife Beauty Camera
- Rose Photo Editor & Selfie Beauty Camera
- Selife Beauty Camera & Photo Editor
- Fog Selife Beauty Camera
- First Selife Beauty Camera & Photo Editor
- Vanu Selife Beauty Camera
- Sun Pro Beauty Camera
- Funny Sweet Beauty Camera
- Little Bee Beauty Camera
- Beauty Camera & Photo Editor Pro
- Grass Beauty Camera
- Ele Beauty Camera
- Flower Beauty Camera
- Best Selfie Beauty Camera
- Orange Camera
- Sunny Beauty Camera
- Landy Selfie Beauty Camera
- Nut Selfie Camera
- Rose Photo Editor & Selfie Beauty Camera
- Art Beauty Camera-2019
- Elegant Beauty Cam-2019
- Selfie Beauty Camera & Funny Filters
- Selfie Beauty Camera Pro
- Pro Selfie Beauty Camera