silversurfer
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- Aug 17, 2014
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Google has eradicated 85 Android apps from the Google Play Store after researchers found they were nothing more than adware posing as legitimate software.
Trend Micro mobile threat response engineer Ecular Xu said the apps masqueraded as photography utilities and games to lure Android handset users to download them, but once installed, they would push advert after advert and make it exceedingly difficult to close ads and maintain general smartphone functionality.
The adware-laden applications included Magic Camera: Make Magical Photos, Blur Photo Editor, Background Replacement, Find the difference: smart detective, and Color House2019.
Each would serve adware detected by the cybersecurity firm as AndroidOS_Hidenad.HRXH. In total, the apps account for over eight million downloads.
Malicious Android photography, gaming apps downloaded 8 million times from Google Play
Users of 85 apps were spammed with relentless fullscreen advertising.
www.zdnet.com