Security News > 2022 > May > Over 200 Apps on Play Store Caught Spying on Android Users Using Facestealer

More than 200 Android apps masquerading as fitness, photo editing, and puzzle apps have been observed distributing spyware called Facestealer to siphon user credentials and other valuable information.

Facestealer, first documented by Doctor Web in July 2021, refers to a group of fraudulent apps that invade the official app marketplace for Android with the goal of plundering sensitive data such as Facebook login credentials.

Trend Micro disclosed that it uncovered over 40 rogue cryptocurrency miner apps that target users interested in virtual coins with malware designed to trick users into watching ads and paying for subscription services.

To avoid falling victim to such scam apps, it's recommended that users check negative reviews, verify the legitimacy of the developers, and avoid downloading apps from third-party app stores.

"PHAs persist on Google Play for 77 days on average and 34 days on third-party marketplaces," the study noted, pointing out the delay between when PHAs are identified and when they are removed, adding 3,553 apps exhibit inter-market migration after being taken down.

As many as 14,000 PHAs are said to have been transferred to 35,500 new Samsung devices by using the Samsung Smart Switch mobile app, with the apps lasting on the phones for a period of approximately 93 days.

News URL

https://thehackernews.com/2022/05/over-200-apps-on-play-store-caught.html