The Google Play Store has been in the spotlight a lot for hosting apps that contain malware, adware, spyware, or rogue software. For example, last month, malware was discovered in 60 Android apps with more than 100 million downloads.Considering that millions of affordable Android phones come with loads of pre-installed apps, it can be pretty easy for hackers to install malware on any of these apps to hack your phone.
Your Android phone may have malware
Researchers are raising the alarm about the growing trend of Android devices that come with pre-installed malware. While you can easily remove an app you downloaded from the Play Store, removing malware embedded in system apps or device software is quite a challenge.
Most of the firmware images analyzed by Trend Micro contain code fragments identified as silent plug-ins. Some of these plugins allow cybercriminals to rent Android devices and use them to steal login credentials or other sensitive user information.
Silent plugin installed on 8.9 million Android devices
Researchers estimate that millions of infected devices are in use worldwide, most of them concentrated in Eastern Europe and Southeast Asia. Interestingly, the criminals themselves claim to have installed silent plugins on 8.9 million Android devices.
For these reasons, Google is making significant efforts to refine Google Play Protect and expand its capabilities to monitor pre-installed apps on Android devices for malicious behavior. The researchers’ advice on the subject is that you prefer your device from companies that have better supply chain security (such as Samsung and Google).
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