Recently, security researchers from Trend Micro discovered 14 malicious Android apps capable of stealing personal data and potentially compromising bank accounts.
These 14 apps were found on the Google Play Store and were identified as spreading a banking malware called ‘DawDropper’.
These apps managed to bypass the Play Store's security system by utilizing third-party cloud services. After installation, these malicious apps would load a banking trojan onto the infected device.
The types of apps infected with malware were mostly productivity and utility applications, such as call recorders, document or QR code scanners, and VPN services.
Trend Micro did not disclose the number of downloads these 14 apps received. Fortunately, Google has removed most of them from the Play Store.
As cited by Phone Arena on Tuesday (September 13, 2022), the 14 malicious apps capable of compromising bank accounts discovered by Trend Micro are:
Call Recorder APK
Rooster VPN
Super Cleaner – hyper & smart
Document Scanner – PDF Creator
Universal Saver Pro
Eagle photo editor
Call recorder pro+
Extra Cleaner
Crypto Utils
FixCleaner
Just In: Video Motion
Lucky Cleaner
Simpli Cleaner
Unicc QR Scanner
One of the most dangerous apps on this list is ‘Unicc QR Scanner’, which was previously known to spread the Coper banking trojan. This app also spreads other Trojans, such as the Octo malware, which can record and control infected devices, steal credentials, and use the victim's phone for criminal activities.
The DawDropper malware itself can launch a series of terrifying attacks, including:
Monitoring and tracking the victim's phone activity
Stealing credentials such as PINs, passwords, and online banking app credentials
Accessing SMS messages, contacts, and phone features on the device
Running scripts in the background to steal banking app usernames and passwords
Modifying browser settings, wallpaper, and lock screen on the device
Performing unusual activities, such as opening third-party apps or forcing restarts without user consent.
Although the aforementioned malicious apps have been banned from the Play Store, users who have already downloaded them are advised to immediately remove them from their devices to prevent any unwanted consequences.
To protect yourself and your device from malware attacks, always download apps from official sources and carefully examine the apps you want to download, including the developer, the types of data they access, and user reviews.
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