21 Malware Apps Google Removed From Android
Google has booted more than 20 applications from the Android Marketplace amid concerns over Android malware.
Android Central reports that Google has used its kill-switch to pull 21 one applications found to contain a malicious exploit called rageagainstthecage. The exploit roots your phone (or tablet), which in turn allows the app to do all kinds of nasty things with your data.
Here’s a list of the apps that have been pulled:
- Falling Down
- Super Guitar Solo
- Super History Eraser
- Photo Editor
- Super Ringtone Maker
- Super Sex Positions
- Hot Sexy Videos
- Chess
- 下坠滚球_Falldown
- Hilton Sex Sound
- Screaming Sexy Japanese Girls
- Falling Ball Dodge
- Scientific Calculator
- Dice Roller
- 躲避弹球
- Advanced Currency Converter
- App Uninstaller
- 几何战机_PewPew
- Funny Paint
- Spider Man
- 蜘蛛侠
The infected apps, all published by a developer called Myournet, were discovered by a Reddit user earlier this week. At least 50,000 people are said to have downloaded the apps. Google’s kill switch will have wiped the bad apples from users’ devices but Android Central reports that Google actually patched its source code to prevent this type of exploit, so users running Android 2.2.2 and up will not have been affected at all.
Further Reading:
CNet
Android Central
Sign up to get the BEST of Tom's Guide direct to your inbox.
Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips.
Jane McEntegart works in marketing communications at Intel and was previously Manager of Content Marketing at ASUS North America. Before that, she worked for more than seven years at Tom's Guide and Tom's Hardware, holding such roles as Contributing Editor and Senior News Editor and writing about everything from smartphones to tablets and games consoles.
-
joytech22 so users running Android 2.2.2 and up will not have been affected at all.
Haha that must mean users of "Super Sex Positions" actually got what they we're looking for?
And their phone got a root without them knowing, I wonder if they can run apps that need root support now -
joshyboy82 In a world of freedom, there's always a few bad eggs that ruin it for the rest of us. It's why there will never be a utopian society and why communism only sounds good on paper.Reply -
Anomalyx scuba daveI wonder how many malware apps have had to be pulled by Apple?They're too busy pulling apps that they believe consumers shouldn't need.Reply -
milktea joshyboy82In a world of freedom, there's always a few bad eggs that ruin it for the rest of us. It's why there will never be a utopian society and why communism only sounds good on paper.How do know these bad eggs would exits in a utopian society when no one has ever lived in such society? These bad eggs could very well be the by-product of the present society we chose to live in.Reply -
retrig Milktea has it absolutely right. Our society breeds the bad eggs. Also, as a hint: The USSR and China were not true socialism (or communism).Reply -
scuba dave AnomalyxThey're too busy pulling apps that they believe consumers shouldn't need.Reply
Like 21 crappy apps filled with malware that were present in a sanctioned app store after making it through a less than adequate QA? ;P -
candrwhite um... what???? Linux and it's variants are IMMUNE to MalWare!!!! Dagonnit!Reply
That's a Windows only problem.
hmm... guess that one's out the window now...