17 apps available on Google Play that can steal your personal data: Report

Google Play has at least 17 apps that are part of a Trojan group called HydeAds. Considered by cyberspace firm Avast, these applications are part of a larger HydeAIDS campaign that primarily targets users in India and Southeast Asia. Researchers at Avast have found that these apps are spread as games, but they are designed to show intrusive ads and can steal users’ personal information. Researchers have noticed that these Trojan applications have the ability to hide their icons on the device and periodically display ads on the device that cannot be avoided.

A team of researchers from Avast initially discovered a total of 47 apps related to the Trojan HeadAids, a part of the Trojan family. However, after receiving reports from antivirus companies, Google has removed 30 of these apps.

Some Trojan applications searched by the Avast team have demanded that the browser be opened to show ads to users. Because apps hide their icons after a certain period of time, users are often unable to understand why ads are published on their devices. However, these Trojan applications can be uninstalled through the device’s app manager because they are only visible there.

The Avast team discovered that each of the apps discovered was a separate developer, listed on Google Play with a common email address.

Overall, these apps, including Trojan HydeAds, have been downloaded more than 15 million times. Some of the most downloaded top apps, which were live in the Play Store before this news was written, include Skateboard – Find New, Secret Differences, Spot Hidden Differences, Tony Shoot – New and Stacking Guys.