Cyber ​​security company ESET has revealed several apps available on Google Play malware Known as Joker, it can infect the devices of those who download it.

of this type malware Also known as Bread And its creators and the cyber attackers working with it have managed to bypass the security systems of Google’s app store and inject supposedly very useful mobile services for users, so the threat is directly aimed at Android devices.

This computer virus belongs to a group spyware which operate by intercepting infected devices’ text messages to silently subscribe to premium services, i.e. without being noticed by mobile phone owners, in addition to delivering invasive, annoying and unwanted advertisements.

Between April and June of this year, several applications containing this Trojan were reported, so they were immediately removed from the Google Store. One such alleged application that has registered several downloads is PDF Reader Scanner.

However, before the app was removed or removed from Google Play, it had been downloaded about 5,000 times worldwide, including in Latin America.

And although this report dates back to the period from April to June, during 2022 there were applications registered in the Play Store that may contain this type of malware, reported over 10,000 downloads. Also, users on Twitter have found dozens of similar apps that threaten the mobile phones of all Google and Android users.

It should be noted that cyber attackers were able to breach the Play Store’s security barriers as they developed new techniques to make their malicious campaigns effective, according to ESET.

These are the apps with viruses that were discovered by the cybersecurity company in June:

All QRCode Scanners

PDF scanner reader

Wow translator

Rainy day wallpaper

Neon Live Wallpaper

Lots of Emoji messages

Favorite photo editor

All wallpaper SMS

All photo translators

Smart CMM launcher

Camhipro

Cool messages

Sketch photo editor

Blood Sugar Journal

Bubble Message

Create photo stickers

Glowing live wallpaper

Toy Blast Star-Falcon

RGB Emoji Keyboard

camera translator Pr

Among the functions of these applications are reading QR codes, opening PDF documents, accessing wallpaper banks, downloading emoticons or stickers, as well as adding functions to mobile phone cameras.

These applications were excellent hiding places for computer viruses because they performed the promised functions and thus silently accessed the user’s messages and contacts.

However, the biggest risk to users was financial, as this spyware could unwittingly force users to sign up for web services and steal important data such as passwords and account numbers, banking applications.

In any case, this type of cybercrime is not new, as in 2020 Google reported that it had removed 1,700 apps from the Play Store that involved this type of crime. malware. In turn, in 2021, these same computer viruses were registered in applications to download wallpapers and content referring to the series. Game Squid from Netflix.

Considering that computer threats are more than ever in people’s lives, it is recommended to pay special attention to the access requested by recently downloaded applications, because if they are malicious, they may ask for unnecessary permissions.

Camilo Gutierrez Amaya, head of the ESET Research Lab in Latin America, notes that “in addition to avoiding downloading applications from unknown repositories, it is important to review comments and see other users’ evaluations of the application’s performance. , like the number of downloads, read who is the developer of the app we want to download, etc.

Continue reading: