A malicious-themed PDF reader is getting called out for gaining intense popularity recently. But little do users of the Google Play Store realize that it’s just malware.
Interestingly, the app is very popular in terms of PDF readers. And now it's serving as a potential vehicle or carrier of the most harmful adware out there today.
Experts are now issuing a new warning in this regard. Meanwhile, the news comes to us thanks to a recent investigation that had been carried out by Malwarebytes. They found how the PDF reader which is designed to read documents is nothing but imaginative as it has zero performance for any of the actions outlined.
The application has failed to do anything and has just filled up users’ devices with unnecessary ads on full screen. And that’s the case when you’re not even using the application.
The firm was seen issuing a new warning about how the application has gotten one million downloads already and Google is still not deleting it from its Play Store. Hence, we won’t be surprised to see more and more people getting hooked on it sooner.
Malwarebytes was nice enough to issue an entire blog post in this respect. It clearly highlighted the entire scam and how the application can be used to trick users in several ways. The most common one of them all is not putting up ads on display, right after it gets installed.
Instead, you'll find the application waiting for a good few hours. And that just makes it all the harder to notice which application had caused the mega issue.
Upon activation, the application gets the chance to fill up the home screen using adverts that fill the whole page. This way, everyone is blocked from gaining access to their own devices, until and unless they especially press on that ad.
At the same time, you’ll also find video ads being displayed in an effective manner. And this means users are stopped from gaining entry into their own phones as more adverts continually launch on a frequent basis. Hence, the more you don’t check the app, the greater the number of adverts seen.
In the blog, there is a special mention of how Google’s listing page for the particular app did notify about a few red flags. And if you paid close attention, you probably noticed that this isn’t the most legitimate app out there today.
There was even a sign for mature audiences added and yes, it's very rare to have a PDF reader app for Android display a thing like this. Another shady aspect had to do with the developer's name. Who calls themselves Fairy Games out of all the names in the world?
So as you can see, tracking down malicious apps isn't easy. But it's always a good idea to keep your eyes open for red flags so if you spot something unusual, it's better to walk away.
Read next: Research Finds Nearly 1,800 iOS Apps Leaking AWS Credentials and Harming the Supply Chain
Interestingly, the app is very popular in terms of PDF readers. And now it's serving as a potential vehicle or carrier of the most harmful adware out there today.
Experts are now issuing a new warning in this regard. Meanwhile, the news comes to us thanks to a recent investigation that had been carried out by Malwarebytes. They found how the PDF reader which is designed to read documents is nothing but imaginative as it has zero performance for any of the actions outlined.
The application has failed to do anything and has just filled up users’ devices with unnecessary ads on full screen. And that’s the case when you’re not even using the application.
The firm was seen issuing a new warning about how the application has gotten one million downloads already and Google is still not deleting it from its Play Store. Hence, we won’t be surprised to see more and more people getting hooked on it sooner.
Malwarebytes was nice enough to issue an entire blog post in this respect. It clearly highlighted the entire scam and how the application can be used to trick users in several ways. The most common one of them all is not putting up ads on display, right after it gets installed.
Instead, you'll find the application waiting for a good few hours. And that just makes it all the harder to notice which application had caused the mega issue.
Upon activation, the application gets the chance to fill up the home screen using adverts that fill the whole page. This way, everyone is blocked from gaining access to their own devices, until and unless they especially press on that ad.
At the same time, you’ll also find video ads being displayed in an effective manner. And this means users are stopped from gaining entry into their own phones as more adverts continually launch on a frequent basis. Hence, the more you don’t check the app, the greater the number of adverts seen.
In the blog, there is a special mention of how Google’s listing page for the particular app did notify about a few red flags. And if you paid close attention, you probably noticed that this isn’t the most legitimate app out there today.
There was even a sign for mature audiences added and yes, it's very rare to have a PDF reader app for Android display a thing like this. Another shady aspect had to do with the developer's name. Who calls themselves Fairy Games out of all the names in the world?
So as you can see, tracking down malicious apps isn't easy. But it's always a good idea to keep your eyes open for red flags so if you spot something unusual, it's better to walk away.
Read next: Research Finds Nearly 1,800 iOS Apps Leaking AWS Credentials and Harming the Supply Chain
