Two Android Adware Apps Removed from Google Play Store

Two malicious Android programs with a combined complete downloads over 1.5 million times are eliminated from the official Play Store after Google Play News was informed they were serving up adware. Adware serves pop-up adverts which make money for its developers whenever the ads are clicked. While adware is frequently more of a hassle than anything else, the intrusive advertisements can cause difficulties for users as the ads constantly run in the background, repeatedly interrupting use and draining the battery. However, the two malicious apps -- Sun Guru Beauty Camera and Funny Sweet Beauty Selfie Camera, analyzed by investigators at Wandera -- came with quite a few additional permissions that suggest that the apps may be used for more intrusive behaviour if wanted. Both programs requested to record sound, allowing the program to use the mic to listen in to anything mentioned close to the device at anytime, in addition to numerous permissions that permit the program to be consistent on the device. Funny Sweet Beauty Camera appeared in July this year and has been downloaded more than 500,000 times in just two weeks. In both cases, the app is the only program published by the named programmer, but both managed to get through vetting for Google's official app store. "It's not the first time we have seen poor apps make it on a formal program shop. "Malware authors are extremely clever at concealing malicious performance but there are often some telltale indications," he added. Both of the programs are packed with a Chinese tool that prevents the APK of those programs being unwrapped and analysed -- and while investigators point out this isn't a cast-iron guarantee of ill intent on account of the performance used by many gaming apps, its use in a simple selfie program could potentially raise queries. SEE: Malicious Android photography, gaming programs downloaded 8 million times in Google Play Both apps have been removed from the Google Play shop and researchers recommend that those who have downloaded the programs uninstall them -- even if this involves a factory reset. To help avoid installing Android malware and malicious programs, Wandera recommends that consumers check that the permissions the app requires to set up and avoid doing so if they demand too much access to the phone. Researchers also suggest taking a look at reviews of Android programs: both Sun Pro Beauty Camera and Funny Sweet Beauty Selfie needed a spate of one-star reviews complaining about the intrusive pop-up adverts.