Uninstall these 24 Android apps infected with the new malware Joker & # 39;

Another day, another batch of Android apps that has been integrated with the Google Play Store – accumulating hundreds of thousands of downloads – containing sneaky malware embedded in their code.

This time, the malware calls "Joker". As Aleksejs Kuprins writes in the CSIS cybersecurity firm, this malware is designed to silently log users into subscription services, which they might not even notice unless they are diligent . by checking their monthly credit card statements.

He describes:

"For example, in Denmark, Joker can register the victim silently for a service of 50 DKK / week (about 6.71 EUR approx.). This strategy works by automating the necessary interaction with the premium offer's web page by entering the operator's offer code and then waiting for an SMS message with a confirmation code and extracting it from the service provider. help with regular expressions Finally, the Joker submits the code extracted on the webpage of the offer in order to authorize the premium subscription. "

Although Google has since deleted the offending apps from the Google Play store, they have managed to accumulate more than 472,000 downloads in total before their excommunication. If you have any of these apps installed on your own Android phone or tablet, or worse, if you are actively using them, it's time to remove them as soon as possible. (We've provided you with links to confirm that the app on your device is the one to remove, of course, do not load these apps sideways on your Android.)

If you've used any of these apps, it's a good idea to check if your Google Play account has unexpected subscriptions, although we doubt you'll find anything there. You'll want to take a look at your credit card statements or bank statements as early as June of this year, when the malicious Joker program started launching its last batch of automatic subscriptions. You may also want to inform your contacts that you are potentially infected because Joker stacks your entire contact list and uploads it to a command and control server.