New Dangerous Android Malware With 300,000 Installs Can Steal All Your Data: What We Know

Android malware continues to be a big headache for Google and the latest update could impact thousands who might have installed around 14 malicious Android apps from the Play Store. The report from McAfee says, these malicious apps have already been installed in over 300,000 devices which puts them at an immediate risk of possible intrusion and data leak from the bad actors.

The report points out the issue called Xamalicious has been around since mid-2020 and they might still be under threat from the malware unless they have physically scanned their devices and cleaned up the software to rid of the malware. The good news is that Google has removed the apps from the Play Store but there are still thousands who did install the app and they have to be careful about how they use their phones.

Popular Apps Found With Xamalicious

These are some of the Android apps spotted on the Play Store with this dangerous malware:

– Essential Horoscope for Android – 100,000 installs

– 3D Skin Editor for PE Minecraft – 100,000 installs

– Logo Maker Pro – 100,000 installs

– Auto Click Repeater – 10,000 installs

– Count Easy Calorie Calculator – 10,000 installs

– Dots: One Line Connector – 10,000 installs

– Sound Volume Extender – 5,000 installs

While these apps were installed from the Play Store, McAfee team says there are more than 10 apps that carry the threat of Xamalicious available through third-party app stores via APK files that don’t come under Google’s jurisdiction. Having said that, Google is taking a more proactive approach towards the third-party apps installed on Android phones, warning people if it detects any malicious tone in the apps.

There are serious concerns around Xamalicious as any infected device is susceptible to intrusion who will then seek backdoor access into the device and give the malware access to permissions that allows it to install other dangerous apps. That’s not all, the malware can execute actions like taking details about your phone, SIM details and firmware. It can pick up the device’s location, IP address and ability to change the root status of the Android phone.

How To Avoid Installing Xamalicious On Android Phone

– Never download apps from third-party stores but if you want to do so, then make sure to read the reviews, check for ratings and even do proper research on these apps.

– Only download genuine apps from the Play Store to avoid falling for these malware threats