Android users alert! Google removes 17 apps that can steal your data – Full list here

Google has removed 17 apps which can be used to to steal SMSs, contacts, device information, and even sign up users for premium wireless application protocol (WAP) services, Zscaler security researcher Viral Gandhi said in a blog. All these apps were available on Google Play Store and had been downloaded around 120,000 times. Most of these are scanner apps.  

There were some messaging apps and photo editors as well. Once Google was notified about these apps, the company removed them from the Play Store. You can no longer download these apps but if you have them on your phone, you must uninstall them right away. 

Here’s the full list of the 17 malware-infected apps: 

All Good PDF Scanner 

Mint Leaf Message-Your Private Message 

Unique Keyboard - Fancy Fonts & Free Emoticons 

Tangram App Lock 

Direct Messenger 

Private SMS 

One Sentence Translator - Multifunctional Translator 

Style Photo Collage 

Meticulous Scanner 

Desire Translate 

Talent Photo Editor - Blur focus 

Care Message 

Part Message 

Paper Doc Scanner 

Blue Scanner 

Hummingbird PDF Converter - Photo to PDF 

All Good PDF Scanner 

There has been a drastic increase in the number of mobile malware threats detected and blocked by Kaspersky solutions in the second quarter of the year when compared to Q1 2020, a recently released report said. The increase noted was around 93232 more threats detected from the period of April to July 2020. In Q2 2020, Kaspersky detected 1,245,894 malicious installers, an increase of 93,232 over the previous quarter.  

According to the report, Adware topped the list with 48%, a decrease of one percentage point from the previous quarter. The Ewind adware family (60.53% of all adware detected) was most common in Q2, followed by the FakeAdBlocker family with 13.14% and Inoco with 10.17%.