Google Play Store is the most popular app store for Android users, offering a wide range of apps that simplify daily tasks. However, some apps can also pose security risks by stealing user data.
Recently, Google removed more than 300 such apps that bypassed Android 13’s security features. These apps had been downloaded over 60 million times.
Discovery of Malicious Apps
According to reports, IAS Threat Lab discovered last year that 180 apps on the Play Store had generated 200 million fake ad requests.
Further investigation revealed that the total number of such apps was 331.
These apps lured users into sharing personal information through ads and attempted to steal credit card details using phishing attacks. The entire operation was known as “Vapor.”
How These Apps Operated
These apps disguised themselves as legitimate applications, such as tracking apps, health apps, wallpapers, and QR scanners.
Some could even rename themselves or hide on the device, launching automatically without user interaction.
They displayed full-screen ads and could disable Android’s back button or gestures.
After receiving the report, Google removed all these harmful apps from the Play Store to protect users.
