Security News > 2020 > October > Google Removes 21 Malicious Android Apps from Play Store
Google has stepped in to remove several Android applications from the official Play Store following the disclosure that the apps in question were found to serve intrusive ads.
The findings were reported by the Czech cybersecurity firm Avast on Monday, which said the 21 malicious apps were downloaded nearly eight million times from Google's app marketplace.
The apps masqueraded as harmless gaming apps and came packed with HiddenAds malware, a notorious Trojan known for its capabilities to serve intrusive ads outside of the app.
The apps also have the ability to draw over other apps to show timed ads that cannot be skipped, and in some cases, even open the browser to bombard users with ads.
Google, for its part, has been actively trying to stop rogue Android apps from infiltrating the Google Play Store.
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