How safe is really Google Play Store?

http://www.tgsoft.it/english/news_archivio_eng.asp?id=574

"Fonte: C.R.A.M. by TG Soft www.tgsoft.it"

-http://contagiominidump.blogspot.it/2014/01/android-fake-google-play.html-

 

The problem isn't so much that the apps aren't safe, but that you don't know and have little control over the behavior of ad networks in them and permissions are so broad. Unless you root your device, you're at the mercy of the handling of these permissions, especially on Nexus devices. Google needs to step up its game vetting these programs..but so do all vendors with app stores. Apple is probably the better of them, but it isn't because they check for security so much as they play parental controller and ban so much stuff for being "offensive".

Mobile itself is not safe, but that's a different thread.

 

I've downloaded 640 apps from Google Play and have never got infected.

I've also never got infected when I've update any apps using 3rd party apps stores instead of Google Play.

Also I've never got infected when downloading apps from 3rd party apps stores or downloading APKs from websites.

 

Which is more likely a result of you being very careful, paying for apps, or when not paying being picky about what you download than it is the Playstore being very safe. Most users see 4-5 stars and think everything is a-OK, or just don't care and put up with any nuisances.

 

I'm never careful or picky about what I apps I download.

 

Lucky you then I guess.

 

I don't think it is luck, I believe it gives a good indication of just how little malware there is the Play Store.

I did download a rogue app once from the Play Store by clicking on an ad in a game. Avast detected it as being a rouge. But, the app can be considered malicious as was harmless.

Now that I think of it my 360 antivirus did find two infections when I first installed it. However I think it was due to it not liking the particular advertising being used rather than the apps being in any way malicious. At the time I would have done more investigation, but I mistakenly deleted the items.

 

I've encountered several apps on Google Play that I can only describe as adware, like a "radio" app that pushed full-screen ads and left behind a folder after uninstall. Now I do more research before installing anything, and I prefer the open source apps from f-droid to ones from the Play Store whenever possible.

 

"Schiaccia Formiche"
Still available on Google Play:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bestcoolfungames.antsmasher&hl=it

File name: com.bestcoolfungames.antsmasher.apk (5.69 MB)

Detection ratio: 5 / 42 (VT)

Antivirus Result Update

AVG Android/Generic
AntiVir Adware/ANDR.Airpush.I.Gen
Comodo ApplicUnwnt
ESET-NOD32 a variant of Android/Adware.AirPush.J
McAfee Artemis!2EED7318CA56
McAfee-GW-Edition Artemis!2EED7318CA56
TrendMicro-HouseCall TROJ_GEN.F47V0124
VIPRE Adware.AndroidOS.AirPush.a (v)

 

Here is the link in English.
From the link:

The detentions are based on the advertising rather than the app being malicious. With the latest changes to the app it should not be detected by antiviruses.

 

My analisys:

~VirusTotal link removed~


___________________________

Cricket 2014:

~VirusTotal link removed~

Tom love Angela:


~VirusTotal link removed~

ecc....ecc....

(Sorry for link VT)

 

-http://contagiominidump.blogspot.it/2014/01/android-airpush-monetization-ads.html-

 

Is that analysis for the current version of Schiaccia Formiche/Ant Smasher?

 

Yes
It 's my reporting.

 

That has nothing to do with Google Play safety.
Let me counter that.

I downloaded 500 popular apps from TEH INTERNET.
Some 200 were malicious or had adware. That makes 40% of the apps malicious.

See where I'm going?

Mrk

 

http://www.hotforsecurity.com/blog/...-amid-public-outcry-over-nsa-spying-7760.html

 

The detections are based on a previous version of Ant Smash and have not been updated to reflect the latest version. I just ran an ad scan with DX Toolbox and it found two advertising providers being used:
Revmob and MillenniaMedia which it both rated as being without risk.

 

These are privacy issues (Spyware/adware) not malware, If you are worried about privacy why are you using the play store or Google Framework to begin with? It does more spying then any other app you could install AND has System permissions (if google wanted they can remotely install apps without your consent).

If you want privacy flash a custom ROM (AOKP, AOSP, CM, Guardian, Replicant. etc) and do NOT flash Google apps.

 

-http://asrevni.blogspot.ca/2014/01/my-android-avpass-analysis.html-

-http://blog.csdn.net/androidsecurity/article/details/18816557-

Note the malware attack against security products.
360,Rising......