Joker malware threatens Android again: discovered in 16 apps

Joker is a known malware, which on several occasions has put the Google Play Store on the ropes, and about which we told you more a few months ago. This malware makes its return to Android, now affecting new applications. At the moment a total of 16 infected have been discovered, also available in Spain. So many users have been exposed.

A team of cybersecurity experts has been the person in charge of informing Google about the presence of Joker in these applications. Such apps have been immediately removed from the Play Store, thankfully. Although it makes it clear that this malware is a very powerful threat, which continues to appear from time to time.

What is Joker, the powerful malware that affects Android apps

Google explains on its blog what Joker is and how it works, a powerful malware that affects Android apps and subscribes you to Premium services.

Joker detected in at least 16 apps

Joker is a particularly complex malware because it can act in various ways, does not have a unique pattern of action. The most common is that you sign up for premium subscription services, but you can also install spyware to access sensitive user data. It is capable of running in the background, because said app hides the instructions to download data in the background, so the user does not know what is happening.

This malware has been discovered in 16 applications available in the Play Store. After being informed of its presence in these apps, Google has proceeded to eliminate it. It is possible that there are users in Spain who have some of them installed, so they are asked to remove them from the phone. This is the confirmed listing:

1. All Good PDF Scanner.
2. Blue Scanner.
3. Care Message.
4. Direct Messenger.
5. Desire Translate.
6. Meticulous Scanner.
7. Mint Leaf Message-Your Private Message.
8. Private SMS.
9. Unique Keyboard – Fancy Fonts & Free Emoticons.
10. One Sentence Translator – Multifunctional Translator.
11. Style Photo Collage.
12. Part Message.
13. Paper Doc Scanner.
14. Talent Photo Editor – Blur focus.
15. Tangram App Lock.
16. Hummingbird PDF Converter – Photo to PDF.

These applications accumulated more than 120,000 downloads among them, as has been learned. At the moment it does not seem that Joker has been detected in more applications, although this malware is possibly the main threat that Google faces. So it is not ruled out that in the future more applications infected with it will be discovered. If you had any of these apps installed on your phone, proceed to remove them as soon as possible.

The entry The Joker malware threatens Android again: discovered in 16 applications, it appears first in The Free Android.