You should also ensure that Google Play Protect is enabled on your devices as it constantly scans the apps installed on your smartphone for malware and warns you if you’re about to install a suspicious app. From here, you should uninstall them and consider using one of the best Android antivirus apps on your phone to remove any malware they may have left behind. The first thing you should do is check the list above and make sure none of these apps are installed on your smartphone or Android tablet.
How to protect yourself from the HiddenAds malware This is because Facebook doesn’t see Play Store URLs as malicious even if these links lead to apps containing malware.Ĭybercriminals often take advantage of free services to attract victims to their malware and anyone can create their own Facebook Business account and business page. Since all of these apps slipped past Google’s defenses and ended up on the Play Store, their creators were able to make Facebook pages for each app and promote them on the social network. To promote their new malware, the cybercriminals behind the HiddenAds campaign actually turned to Facebook to do so. HiddenAds malware apps also try to get users to run an app when they install, uninstall or update any of the other apps on their devices. However, all of these ads are full screen and very intrusive.
The malicious services run by these apps display advertisements to victims in a number of ways. For instance, they change their icon to a Google play icon users are familiar with and change their name to either ‘Google Play’ or ‘Setting’ to remain undetected. When you install any of these apps on your devices, they automatically launch the HiddenAds malware and begin operating in the background.Īt the same time, these malicious apps are capable of hiding themselves to prevent users from noticing and deleting them. However, you will need to manually delete them from your Android smartphone.Īlthough downloading and installing an app without opening it is normally safe, that isn’t true in this case. Fortunately, though, McAfee shared its findings with the search giant and they have all since been removed. Despite the fact that they contain malware, all of these apps managed to slip past Google’s defenses and end up on the Play Store.
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