Google removes 85 malicious apps from Play Store, to affect more than 9 million users

Google on Friday removed 85 malicious apps from its Android Google Play Store which were download for over nine million times on the platform. On Google Play Store, these applications were available in the form of TV game, remote control and more were found as an impersonation of an adware family. One of the apps among these 85 malicious apps was ‘Easy Universal TV Remote’ which was alone downloaded from the Google Play Store for more than five million times.

Security researcher at Trend Micro wrote in his blog, “This adware is capable of displaying full-screen ads, hiding itself, monitoring a device’s screen unlocking functionality, and running in the mobile device’s background’’.

As per the blog, after downloading these apps launching it, a full-screen pop-up ad appears on the screen which asks the user to press a button to continue repeatedly.

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After clicking the button each time, a new ad page appears on the screen which ultimately leads to the crash of the application.

Some of the apps were even tracing the screen unlocking pattern by featuring ad every time the screen was locked.

Here we bring to you the complete list of these 85 apps which has been removed by Google Play Store:

• Prado Parking Simulator 3D
• American Muscle Car
• City Extremepolis 100
• Offroad Extreme
• Idle Drift
• Moto Racing
• A/C Remote
• Remote Control
• TV Remote
• Bus Driver
• Love Stickers
• Christmas Stickers
• TV EN ESPAÑOL
• Trump Stickers
• TV IN SPANISH
• Parking Game
• WORLD TV
• Brasil TV
• Golden
• Racing in Car 3D Game
• Nigeria TV
• Mustang Monster Truck Stunts
• Challenge Car Stunts Game
• TDT España
• Drift Car Racing Driving
• Prado Car
• UK TV
• POLSKA TV
• TV IN ENGLISH
• Pirate Story
• Photo Editor Collage 1
• Universal TV Remote
• Spanish TV
• SPORT TV
• Bus Simulator Pro
• Prado Parking City
• Kisses
• Canais de TV do Brasil
• Canada TV Channels 1
• 3D Racing
• Prado Car 10
• Extreme Trucks
• GA Player
• Prado Parking
• Real Drone Simulator
• PORTUGAL TV
• SOUTH AFRICA TV
• ITALIA TV
• Police Chase
• 3d Monster Truck
• Movies Stickers
• Vietnam TV
• SPORT TV 1
• Racing Car 3D
• South Africa TV
• TV Colombia
• Garage Door Remote
• Hearts
• World Tv
• Racing Car 3D Game
• WORLD TV
• FRANCE TV
• TV World Channel
• TV of the World
• ESPAÑA TV
• CHILE TV
• Televisão do Brasil
• SPORT TV
• TV WORLD

Even in the year 2018, Google removed 22 apps from its Play Store after finding the applications malicious.