Avast Reports Continuation of Adware Wave on Google Play

guest · Oct 26, 2020

Avast reports 21 more gaming apps with hidden adware
October 26, 2020
https://androidcommunity.com/avast-reports-21-more-gaming-apps-with-hidden-adware-20201026/

There are tons of adware out there masquerading as games and you’ll realize too late you’ve been duped. Avast has discovered and reported 21 more games that are part of the HiddenAds family and have actually been downloaded by millions. As of writing, only two of the apps have been suspended with the other 19 still being investigated.

The 21 apps they reported are part of the HiddenAds family which Avast also previously reported on. These are basically Trojan horses that disguise themselves as a “safe and useful application” but turn out to just be carriers of intrusive ads that will follow you outside of the app. The apps also have aggressive, disruptive, and stealth features like hiding your icons and displaying relevant looking ads that actually make it harder for you to identify and remove them.
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The developer account also will have just one game under it which should already raise your suspicion. Apparently, they do this so if the app does get suspended, only one app will be affected and the others can continue to dupe more people.

Out of the 21 that Avast reported, so far only 2 apps have been suspended. The other 19 are still being investigated but you can find a list of the apps that have been flagged as adware here.
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Avast: Avast Reports Continuation of Adware Wave on Google Play

Users report sports, puzzle, car and helicopter gaming apps that contain HiddenAds adware were advertised to them on YouTube
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guest · Oct 26, 2020

Adware found in 21 Android apps with more than 7 million downloads
Six of the 21 apps are still available on the Google Play Store
October 26, 2020
https://www.zdnet.com/article/adware-found-in-21-android-apps-with-more-than-7-million-downloads/

Google has removed 15 of 21 Android applications from the official Play Store over the weekend following a report from Czech antivirus maker Avast.
The security firm said the apps were infected with a type of malware known as HiddenAds.

In a report published today, Avast malware analyst Jakub Vávra said the apps mimicked popular games, and the criminal group behind this operation relied on social media ads and marketing to draw users to their Play Store pages.
Once users installed any of these apps, the HiddenAds malware would hide the app's icon (to make it difficult for users to delete the app in the future) and then start bombarding users with ads.
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Vávra said that it's easy to fall for these apps and install one on your phone, but there are some patterns and giveaways that can help users identify possibly malicious apps.

"Users need to be vigilant when downloading applications to their phones and are advised to check the applications' profile, reviews and to be mindful of extensive device permission requests," Vávra said.
Today's Avast report is just the latest in a long list of Google enforcements against malware operators who manage to sneak their malware past the Play Store's defenses.
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Avast: Another 21 malware apps found on Google Play

Even though adware is hidden by design, there are still steps you can take to protect yourself
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Avast Reports Continuation of Adware Wave on Google Play

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