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Check your phone for these 50 sketchy apps – see the full list
Modern-day tablets and smartphones are more powerful than many desktop computers from the early ’90s. But to get the most out of them, you need to add applications that tap into their unlimited potential.
Finding apps to install is where you need to be careful though, as some are designed by cybercriminals to rip you off. We recently told you about nine malicious apps that were hiding malware. Tap or click here for the details.
Those were just the tip of the iceberg. A new list of more than 50 sketchy apps has been discovered and if you’ve installed any of them, they could be wreaking havoc on your device.
Tekya malware hidden in Google Play Store apps
We always tell you to only download apps from official app stores. With their stronger security protections, the chance of installing malicious apps is less than what you’d find in third-party app stores.
While Apple’s App Store and Google Play do a more thorough check on the apps they host, the process isn’t always foolproof. This latest group of malicious apps found in Google Play makes that clear.
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Researchers with Check Point recently discovered more than 50 malicious apps in Google Play. The apps are actually hiding malware dubbed Tekya, which is a form of adware.
Tekya works behind the scenes by mimicking a users’ movements and clicking ads, which line scammers’ pockets. This type of activity not only drains your device’s battery, but it can slow down your phone, too.
How to protect against Tekya malware
The good news is all of the malicious apps on this list have been removed from Google Play. The bad news is you may have installed a few before they were removed.
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A total of 56 apps hiding the malware were found and have been downloaded more than 1 million times. Of those apps, 24 targeted children via games or puzzles. The other 32 were disguised as utility apps like calculators, cooking apps, downloaders and more.
Here is the complete list of malicious apps:
- 24th Translate
- Amazingkitchen
- Armeasure Translate
- Artech Helpful
- Aquawar
- Best Translate
- Best Translate Tool
- Bestcalculate Multifunction
- Besttranslate
- Biscuitent
- Biscuit
- Breaktower
- Carstiny
- Calculatepro
- Cooking
- Delicious Recipes
- Digiv Weather Radar
- Dressup
- Fastdownloader
- Fortuneteller Tarotreading
- Goldencat Hillracing
- Hexadom
- Hexamaster
- Ichinyan Fashion
- Imgdownloader
- Instant Translate
- Jewel Block Puzzle2019
- Letmego
- Littlefarm
- Livetranslate
- Magic Cuble Blast Puzzle
- Michimocho Video Downloader
- Mcmc Ebook Reader
- Mcmccalculator Free
- Major Cookingstar
- Major Zombie
- Multi Translate Threeinone
- Pro Translator
- Raceinspace Astronaut
- Spaceship
- Stickman Runner Parkour
- Swift Jungle Translate
- Stickman Warrior
- Splashio
- Smart Tools Pro
- Snap Translate
- Smart Language Translate
- Translator
- Travel Map
- Titan Block Flip
- Tapsmore Challenge
- Twmedia Downloader
- Translate
- Titanyan Igsaver
- Titan Translator
- Withu Translate
If you have any of these apps, make sure to delete them immediately. The next step is making sure your operating system is up to date so you have the latest security patches. These fix vulnerabilities on your device.
Tags: adware, Apple, applications (apps), battery/batteries, Check Point Software Technologies, computers, cybercriminals, Google Play Store, malicious apps, malware, official app stores, phones/smartphones, slow
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