Beware Android users: 17 apps on Play Store infected by 'Joker' malware, advised to delete apps

Google Android Security team took prompt action to remove 17 suspicious apps from the Google Play Store.

Through its periodical monitoring of its Play Store, Google has come across 17 new malware-infected apps that are a threat to Android phones. Zscaler ThreatLabZ, a cybersecurity firm based in California confirmed that the apps were infected by the 'Joker' malware. The infected apps have been removed from the Google Play Store.

The cybersecurity firm wrote in a blog, "Our team has been constantly monitoring the Joker malware. We have recently seen regular upload of it onto the Google Play store. Once notified by us, the Google Android Security team took prompt action to remove the suspicious apps from the Google Play Store.''

The blog further read that they have identified 17 different samples regularly uploaded to Google Play in September 2020. There was a total of around 1,20,000 downloads for the identified malicious apps.

Joker is not a new malware. But lately, it has been troubling the Android app developers due to its little codes that are very hard to detect.

To breach Google's security scan and sneak into the user's device, this malware uses a technique called 'Dropper'.

Here is a list of the infected apps that have been removed by Google Play Store and advised the users to delete them from their phones -

• 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

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Google Play Store

Joker Malware

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