According to cybersecurity experts, two apps available on the Google Play Store may have compromised the data of over a million users. Those who downloaded File Recovery & Data Recovery or File Manager are advised to remove these apps from their devices immediately.
Cybersecurity firm Pradeo states that these file management applications were actually designed to silently collect sensitive user data and send it to malicious servers based in China. The stolen data includes contact lists, social media and email information, photos, audio and video files, and real-time user location, among other things.
Pradeo suspects that the download numbers for these two apps, created by the same developer, may have been artificially inflated by bots, as they have garnered approximately 1.5 million downloads but have few reviews.
In response to the situation, Google has removed the apps from the Google Play Store. They also assure users that Google Play Protect will safeguard Android devices from apps containing this type of malware, even if the apps are obtained from sources outside of the Play Store.
Google confirmed to Bleepingcomputer.com that the two apps are no longer available, saying in a statement: “These apps have been removed from Google Play. Google Play Protect protects users from apps known to contain this malware on Android devices with Google Play Services, even when those apps come from other sources outside of Play.”
However, if the apps are already installed on your device, you must manually delete them.
To avoid falling victim to similar threats, Pradeo advises users to be cautious of apps with high download numbers but few reviews. It is also crucial to read app reviews and permissions carefully.
This incident follows the removal of another app, iRecorder – Screen Recorder, from the Google Play Store after it was discovered that the app had been secretly accessing photo libraries and recording audio of users without their knowledge.
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