Google Play has removed apps with over 20 million downloads because they were using excessive mobile data and draining battery, a report said.
According to a report from McAfee, it identified new clicker malware that broke into Google Play. In all, 16 applications that were previously on Google Play have been confirmed to contain malicious payloads, with 20 million installations.
“Once the application is opened, it downloads its remote configuration by executing an HTTP request. After the configuration is downloaded, it registers an FCM (Firebase Cloud Messaging) listener to receive push messages,” McAfee said. Written in a blogpost.
Watch Video: Vivo Fold: How is Vivo’s first foldable smartphone
“At first glance, it seems like well made Android software. However, it is hiding behind ad fraud features equipped with remote configuration and FCM technologies,” it added.
Security researchers informed Google that all identified apps are no longer available on Google Play. Users are also protected by Google Play Protect, which blocks these apps on Android.
The malicious code was found on useful utility applications such as flashlights, QR readers, cameras, unit converters and task managers.
FCM messages contain a variety of information and include which function to call and its parameters.
read all latest tech news Here