Security experts are raising the alarm after shockingly discovering malicious applications on Google Play that extract user data.
The researchers claim the apps have already crossed the 1.5 million download mark with no signs of stopping. Their main aim is to grab a hold of user data that is clearly not a part of the functionality that was promised.
The platforms ironically are coming forward from identical publishers and can carry out functions without any form of engagement involved in terms of the user. See, the main prospect seems to be launching and then stealing data and then passing those on to Chinese servers. So as you can imagine, it’s quite alarming for obvious reasons.
The news was sent out to Google but despite it being on their radar, it’s shocking how the Android maker is yet to do anything about the matter. They seem to be waiting for more bad news to strike and that’s extremely questionable behavior coming from that direction.
Today, both the apps called File and Data Recovery have enmassed close to a million installations with no signs of stopping. The count is expected to rise but with more attention being drawn to the subject, we could be seeing some action coming forward by the tech giant.
The apps were brought to people’s attention, thanks to Pradeo who is known for providing reliable options for security on smartphones. They confirmed that their rule of action is never to collect user data through devices and that’s a part of their policy that they happen to be so proud of.
But what sorts of data from users are being extracted? This entails the likes of contact lists, email IDs, social media platforms, and more. Other than that, images from the gallery as well as audio and any videos present are also taken advantage of by the app and recovered as desired.
Similarly, country codes used for dialing contacts on the user’s list, followed by their location, name of the network, and name of SIM provider are also added. In the same way, the device’s exact details such as brand name and model are also looked at in detail.
Most applications do provide reasons as to why they end up taking advantage of some of the users’ details like that shown above. However, this is just shocking how most data collected isn’t needed for managing files and therefore, taking over users’ data to such a massive extent is wrong for obvious reasons.
Read next: New Alert Issued Against Screen Reader Malware That Steals User’s Sensitive Data On Finance Apps
The researchers claim the apps have already crossed the 1.5 million download mark with no signs of stopping. Their main aim is to grab a hold of user data that is clearly not a part of the functionality that was promised.
The platforms ironically are coming forward from identical publishers and can carry out functions without any form of engagement involved in terms of the user. See, the main prospect seems to be launching and then stealing data and then passing those on to Chinese servers. So as you can imagine, it’s quite alarming for obvious reasons.
The news was sent out to Google but despite it being on their radar, it’s shocking how the Android maker is yet to do anything about the matter. They seem to be waiting for more bad news to strike and that’s extremely questionable behavior coming from that direction.
Today, both the apps called File and Data Recovery have enmassed close to a million installations with no signs of stopping. The count is expected to rise but with more attention being drawn to the subject, we could be seeing some action coming forward by the tech giant.
The apps were brought to people’s attention, thanks to Pradeo who is known for providing reliable options for security on smartphones. They confirmed that their rule of action is never to collect user data through devices and that’s a part of their policy that they happen to be so proud of.
But what sorts of data from users are being extracted? This entails the likes of contact lists, email IDs, social media platforms, and more. Other than that, images from the gallery as well as audio and any videos present are also taken advantage of by the app and recovered as desired.
Similarly, country codes used for dialing contacts on the user’s list, followed by their location, name of the network, and name of SIM provider are also added. In the same way, the device’s exact details such as brand name and model are also looked at in detail.
Most applications do provide reasons as to why they end up taking advantage of some of the users’ details like that shown above. However, this is just shocking how most data collected isn’t needed for managing files and therefore, taking over users’ data to such a massive extent is wrong for obvious reasons.
Read next: New Alert Issued Against Screen Reader Malware That Steals User’s Sensitive Data On Finance Apps
