Rogue Android App’s Nearly Impossible to Remove

I hate it when someone comes to me with a problem on their phone, “oh my phone is going slow”, “I can’t get on the internet” or something un-uniquely as annoying. The source? Normally full of random games or the odd easily removed malware app. It now turns out that those malware apps could actually turn out to be phone destroyers.

The newest strain of Android orientated malware applications are becoming some of the most unyielding to the usual rounds of anti-virus/ malware tools and require more physical measures such as seeking out professional help or completely replacing the device itself.

Cybersecurity firm Lookout has researched into the subject and revealed more than twenty thousand (20,000) of the world’s most popular app’s such as Candy Crush have been plagiarised to carry the malware. There is no warning of the malware being installed, nor will the owner know it’s there until it’s too late.

“Malicious actors behind these families repackage and inject malicious code into thousands of popular applications found in Google Play, and then later publish them to third-party app stores. Indeed, we believe many of these apps are actually fully-functional, providing their usual services, in addition to the malicious code that roots the device.” – Lookout blog

The largest source is from websites and lesser known App Stores that require you to install from unknown sources.

Personally, I have installed a few app’s that have required you to install from unknown sources that are completely legitimate, mainly popular bingo app’s that do not have an official Google Play entry. If you are unsure of the authenticity of the app you are downloading, avoid and download from registered and monitored sources.

Want to keep yourself safe? Check out these Free Google Play Anti-Malware apps.

Malwarebytes, Avast Antivirus, AVG Antivirus, and many more here.