Google Removes 24 More Malware-Riddled Apps from their Store

Despite the popularity of the Android platform for both tablets and smartphones, it’s hardly a secret that the Google Play Store is something of a minefield when it comes to apps containing malware. How bad is the problem, though? Well, from our perspective, it feel like we can’t go a month without it being revealed that a widely downloaded app has been removed after having malicious software or coding detected within in.

Well, in a report via TheNextWeb, it seems that Google is in the middle of another purge as 24 more malware-riddled apps have been deleted from the Play Store. Not before, however, they accumulated around 500,000 downloads.

Google Removes Another 24 Malware-Riddled Apps

The malware, known as Joker, was identified within 24 apps that were available on the Google Play Store. This malware basically looked to obtain various details from your phone largely being SMS messages, contact details and information on the phone itself.

The apps known to have been affected by this include:

• Advocate Wallpaper
• Age Face
• Altar Message
• Antivirus Security – Security Scan (How ironic!)
• Beach Camera
• Board picture editing
• Certain Wallpaper
• Climate SMS
• Collate Face Scanner
• Cute Camera
• Dazzle Wallpaper
• Declare Message
• Display Camera
• Great VPN
• Humour Camera
• Ignite Clean
• Leaf Face Scanner
• Mini Camera
• Print Plant scan
• Rapid Face Scanner
• Reward Clean
• Ruddy SMS
• Soby Camera
• Spark Wallpaper

What Do We Think?

As you can see from the list, these are nice ‘generic’ apps that many would easily be tempted into downloading. As such, if you have added any of these to your Android device the first piece of advice would be to remove them as soon as possible.

In addition, we can’t help but feel that a factory reset might also be a good idea. You never know what these apps may have done to your phone and, after all, it is better to be safe than sorry. The short version, however, is to remember that the Google Play Store can have some amazing programs on there, the internet, however, is always a dangerous place!

What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!