Security News > 2023 > October > Android adware apps on Google Play amass two million installs
Several malicious Google Play Android apps installed over 2 million times push intrusive ads to users while concealing their presence on the infected devices.
Dr. Web explains that once victims install these apps on their devices, they hide by replacing their icons with that of Google Chrome or using a transparent icon image to create empty space in the app drawer.
In other cases, Dr. Web spotted game apps that loaded dubious online casino websites in violation of Google Play policies.
All the apps presented in this report have been removed from Google Play by the time of writing.
To avoid downloading malicious software from Google Play, minimize the apps you install to the minimum required, carefully read user reviews, and perform checks to ensure the publisher is trustworthy.
Google Play Protect adds real-time scanning to fight Android malware.
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