In its latest monthly mobile threat report, Doctor Web noted that trojan Android apps containing malware that will push intrusive ads to Android devices while concealing their presence to users have topped two million installs.
Originally spotted by Bleeping Computer, the biggest culprit of the bunch is a game called Super Skibydi Killer, which has amassed over a million installs all on its own. The app promises a game where players take on the role of a “super killer” and try to assassinate their enemy through a series of shooting games.
When Android users install the game or those like it on their device, the apps replace their icons with a transparent icon image or Google Chrome icon to remain concealed and then they run in the background of your device, launching ads and creating revenue for their creator without the user’s knowledge.
The issue also impacts a few less popular games including Agent Shooter, Rainbow Stretch, and Rubber Punch 3D.
In addition to the games that run malicious ads, Doctor Web also found two Joker family apps within Google Play that subscribe users to paid services. One of those apps, Love Emoji Messenger, has been downloaded 50,000 times. Another app, Beauty Wallpaper HD, has been downloaded significantly less, with only 1,000 downloads.
Beyond those the site also found several fake apps that were distributed as financial software for things like stock trading or home accounting but in fact, launch fraudulent sites where victims were encouraged to become investors.
Those apps include GazEndow Economic, MoneyMentor, FinancialFusion, and Financial Vault.
Other games within Google Play are advertised as games; however, once installed their main functionality is to load online casino websites.
Those games include Eternal Maze, Jungle Jewels, Stellar Secrets, Fire Fruits, Cowboy’s Frontier, and Enchanted Elixir.
All of the offending apps have since been removed from Google Play. If you think you’ve downloaded one of the apps in question you should delete it immediately as well as perform a device scan using both Play Protect as well as a mobile antivirus tool to ensure the safety of your device.