Google’s Play Store and Apple’s App Store are hit by a malware epidemic! Experts have detected more than 200 malicious applications capable of stealing the personal and banking information of their victims.
If malware is very – too – often detected in the Play Store, the Google application store, the Apple App Store is not spared either. He is even also targeted by a real invasion that has hit both platforms. Because despite the many tools and security measures deployed by the services of the two application stores, hackers are constantly developing new strategies aimed at circumventing them. On January 20, Thailand’s Ministry of Economy and Digital and the National Cyber Security Agency (NCSA) shared on Facebook discovering more than 200 infected applications there. Their goal: to steal users’ money and harvest their personal data, which is worth its weight in gold – it is either resold on the Dark Net or used for phishing and other malicious campaigns. Worse still, some are able to take control of the device, generate text messages using the same name as banks, e-commerce platforms and social networks, or seek to scare the recipient into clicking. on a link. In short, all means are good for abusing their victims. That’s why you absolutely have to be very careful about what you download on your smartphone!
Spoofed apps: more than 200 apps to uninstall immediately
To deceive users, infected applications appear at first glance to be completely harmless and offer legitimate functions. Most of them are utilities, ranging from password managers to photo or video editors, PDF converters, instant messengers, personalization items, translators, games and other entertainment. Thai authorities have since asked Apple and Google to remove them as soon as possible, but some are unfortunately still online. Here is the list of the applications concerned, without it being known whether they respectively target iPhones or Android smartphones:
- 4K Pro Camera
- 4K Wallpapers Auto Changer
- Advanced SMS
- aipic – Magic Photo Editor
- All Good PDF Scanner
- All Language Translate
- All Photo Translator
- Art Filters
- Astro + Horoscope Astrology
- Astroline: The Daily Horoscope
- Auto Sticker Maker Studio
- Avatar Maker Character Creator
- Baby Sticker- Track Millestones
- Bass Booster Volume Power amp
- Battery Charging Animations Battery Wallpaper
- Battery Charging Animations Bubble Effects
- Beat.ly Music Video Maker
- Beat Maker Pro
- Beauty Filter
- Blood Pressure Checker
- Blood Pressure Diary
- Blue Scanner
- Blur Picture
- Caller Theme
- Call Skins
- Camera Translator
- Care Message
- Cartoons Me
- Cash Cleaner
- Online Chat
- SMS Text Chat
- Classic Emoji Keyboard
- Classic Game Messenger
- Coco Camera v1.1
- Come Messages
- Contact Background
- Cool Keyboard
- Cool Posts
- Creative 3D Launcher
- Creative Emoji Keyboard
- Custom Themed Keyboard
- Cut, Paste
- Dazz Cam D3D Photo Effect
- Dazzle – Insta Stories Editor
- Dazzling Keyboard
- DesignMaker
- Desire Translate
- Live Messenger
- Dizzy
- Dj it!
- Drink Water
- Drums: Play Beats & Drum Games
- Easy PDF Scanner
- edjing mix
- edjing Pro
- Emoji One Keyboard
- Emoji Theme Keyboard
- Equalizer+ HD Music Player
- Equalizer Fx Bass Booster App
- face me
- Facetory: Face Yoga & Exercise
- Fancy Charging
- Fancy SMS
- Flashlight Flash Alert On Call
- FLMX
- Emoji Keyboard Fonts
- frame
- Frames
- Freeglow Camera 1.0.0
- funny caller
- Funny Emoji Message
- Funny Keyboard
- Funny WallPapers – Live Screen
- GIF Emoji Keyboard
- Girl Games: Unicorn
- Guitar Play – Games & Songs
- Guitar – Real Games & Lessons
- Guitar Tuner – Ukulele & Bass
- Halloween Coloring
- Handset – Second Phone Number
- Heart Emoji Stickers
- Highlight Story Cover Maker!
- Hi Text SMS
- Horoscope 2019 and Palm Reader
- Hub Story Templates Maker
- HummingBird PDF Converter Photo to PDF
- Hyper Cleaner: Clean Phone
- iCons – Icon Changer App+
- iMessenger
- Imprint
- Instant Messenger
- iWidget Pro
- Jambl: Dj Band & Beat Maker
- Jigsaw Puzzle
- Karaoke Songs
- Life Palmistry
- Lift Story Maker
- Light Messages
- Loop Maker Pro
- luckylife
- MagicFX – Magic Video Effects
- Magic Photo Editor
- Memoristo: Brain Test, IQ Game
- Memory Silent Camera
- MenuMaker!
- Meticulous Scanner
- Metronome Pro – Beat & Tempo
- Metronome – Tap Tempo & Rhythm
- Mini PDF Scanner
- Mint Leaf Message – Your Private Message
- Mood Balance: Self Care Tracker
- Music Zen – Relaxing Sounds
- MyCall – Call Personalization
- Nebula – Horoscope & Astrology
- Neon Theme Keyboard
- NewsScream : 4D Wallpapers
- Notes – Reminders and Lists
- Now QR Code Scan
- One Sentence Translator – Multifunctional Translator
- Painting Photo Editor
- Paper Doc Scanner
- Share Message
- Passwork Manager
- PDF Scanner: Document Scan
- Personal Message
- Photo Collage
- Photo Editor & Background Eraser
- Photo Editor – Filters Effects
- Photo & Exif Editor
- Photo Filters & Effects
- Photoly Remove Object & Editor
- Photo to Sketch
- Piano Crush
- Piano
- Pista
- Pixomatic
- Poco Launcher
- Premium SMS
- Presets for Lightroom
- Private Game Messages
- Private Messenger
- Private SMS
- Professional Messenger
- Quick Talk Message
- Razer Keyboard & Them
- Collect
- Retouch & Cutout
- ScanGuru
- Scanner app
- Send SMS
- Single Note Scanner
- SlidePic
- Slimy
- Smart Messages
- Smart SMS Messages
- Smart TV Remote
- Smile Emoji
- Social Post
- SpeedPro Slow Speed Video Edit
- Stickerfy Sticker Maker
- sticker maker
- Stickers & GIFs
- Stock Wallpapers & Backgrounds
- Style Message
- Photo Collage Style
- Super Hero-Effect
- Sweet Pics – Baby Photo Edito
- Talent Photo Editor – Blur Focus
- Tangram App Lock
- TeasEar ASMR Anti-Stress Slime
- Text Emoji SMS
- Themes Photo Keyboard
- TimeStamp Camera
- ToonApp Cartoon Photo Editor
- Translate Camera – Speak On
- Translator Guru: Voice & Text
- UltraFX – Effect Video Maker
- Unicc QR Scanner
- Single Keyboard
- Universal PDF Scanner
- Vanilla Snap Camera
- Video Puzzles Magic Puzzle
- HD Ringtones – Ringtone Maker
- VOCHI Video effects Editor
- Volume Booster Hearing Aid
- Volume Booster Louder Sound Equalizer
- Water Reminder
- WeDrum: Drums, Real Drum Games
- Widget Plus+ – Photo and Weather
- Wow Beauty Camera
- Wow Translator
- Yoga for Beginner to Advanced
- YouToon AI Cartoon Effects
If all the applications are not available on the French versions of the official stores, some of them are however experiencing worldwide success. Also, if you have installed one of them on your smartphone, uninstall it as soon as possible. For security, it is better that you change your passwords and that you monitor the transactions on your bank account. Keep in mind that just because you’re downloading an app from an official store doesn’t mean you won’t be at risk. This is why it is strongly advised to install only applications that you really need and to remove those that you no longer use. Before downloading, check the small details that could give you a hint – number of downloads, reviews, name of the developer, authorization requests… In any case, it is better to have an antivirus running in the background to double-check that malicious behavior is not at work in the background.