Google has removed these popular Android apps for ‘spying’ on users, delete them from your phones
If you are an Android user, you might want to check your phone for some apps that Google has recently removed from its Play Store. These apps were found to contain malicious code that could spy on your device activities, steal your personal data and upload it to remote servers.
What are these apps and how do they spy on users?
According to security researchers from ESET and Avast, these apps are screen recording or video editing apps that have been infected with a spyware module called SpinOk. SpinOk is a customized version of an open source remote access trojan (RAT) called AhMyth. RATs are malicious software that can take control of a device and perform various actions without the user's knowledge or consent.
Some of the actions that SpinOk can perform are:
- Record ambient audio from the device's microphone every 15 minutes and upload it to a server.
- Exfiltrate documents, web pages and media files from the device's storage.
- Access the device's location, contacts, call logs, text messages and browser history.
- Execute commands received from a remote server.
The apps that contain SpinOk disguise themselves as legitimate apps that offer screen recording or video editing features. They also use mini games, tasks and rewards to keep the users engaged. However, in the background, they spy on the users' activities and data.
Which apps are affected and how many users are impacted?
ESET has identified 101 Android apps that contain SpinOk. These apps have been downloaded for a cumulative total of 421,290,300 times from Google Play Store. Some of the most popular apps among them are:
| App Name | Downloads |
| --- | --- |
| Noizz: video editor with music | 100,000,000+ |
| Zapya – File Transfer, Share | 100,000,000+ |
| VFly: video editor & video maker | 50,000,000+ |
| MVBit – MV video status maker | 50,000,000+ |
| Biugo – video maker&video editor | 50,000,000+ |
| Cashzine – Earn money reward | 10,000,000+ |
| Fizzo Novel – Reading Offline | 10,000,000+ |
Avast has also reported seven apps that were designed for spying on employees, romantic partners and children. These apps have been removed by Google after Avast's report. The apps are:
- Track Employees Check Work Phone Online Spy Free
- Spy Kids Tracker
- Phone Cell Tracker
- Mobile Tracking
- Spy Tracker
- SMS Tracker
- Employee Work Spy
What should you do if you have these apps on your phone?
Google has removed these apps from its Play Store after being notified by the security researchers. However, if you have already downloaded any of these apps on your phone, you should delete them immediately. You should also scan your phone with a reputable antivirus app and change your passwords for any online accounts that you use on your phone.
To prevent such spyware infections in the future, you should be careful about what apps you download and install on your phone. You should always check the app reviews, ratings and permissions before downloading an app. You should also avoid downloading apps from third-party sources or clicking on suspicious links or attachments. You should also keep your phone updated with the latest security patches and use a reliable antivirus app.
Conclusion
Google has removed some popular Android apps from its Play Store for spying on users. These apps contain a spyware module called SpinOk that can record audio, steal data and execute commands from a remote server. If you have any of these apps on your phone, you should delete them as soon as possible and scan your phone with an antivirus app. You should also be careful about what apps you download and install on your phone in the future.
Source:
(1) Google has removed these popular Android apps for ‘spying’ on users .... https://www.gadgetsnow.com/slideshows/google-has-removed-these-popular-android-apps-for-spying-on-users-delete-them-from-your-phones/photolist/101000687.cms.
(2) A popular Android app began secretly spying on its users months after .... https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/29/popular-android-app-microphone-spying-google-play/.
(3) Google Removes 7 Spying Apps From Google Play Store. | Fortune. https://fortune.com/2019/07/18/google-play-store-android-stalkerware/.
(4) Google has booted out these 7 apps on Play Store for spying on users .... https://www.zeebiz.com/technology/news-google-has-booted-out-these-7-apps-on-play-store-for-spying-on-users-remove-from-your-smartphone-check-full-list-here-106108.
(5) Android users, delete this screen recorder app now! Here’s why. https://www.techlusive.in/news/rogue-screen-recorder-app-found-spying-on-android-users-how-to-safeguard-yourself-1379984/.
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