Researchers at Check Point research have discovered a new strain of malware hiding in apps found on Google’s Play Store.
Check Point found as many as 60 games that were reportedly intended to be played by children contained a strain of malware being dubbed “AdultSwine”.
They claim that the malware displays advertising that is “highly inappropriate and pornographic”, attempts to scare users into installing fake security applications and (if that wasn’t enough) trick users into registering for premium services they don’t want nor need.
The offending apps have been removed from the Play Store by Google.
“Although for now this malicious app seems to be a nasty nuisance, and most certainly damaging on both an emotional and financial level, it nevertheless also has a potentially much wider range of malicious activities that it can pursue, all relying on the same common concept,” Says Check Point.
For now then the threat is minimal but it has the potential to start siphoning off credentials should it evolve.
We have included a full list of the applications that contain the AdultSwine malware below and we urge our readers to remove any of these apps that might be on their Android device.
| App Name | Minimum Downloads | Maximum Downloads |
| Five Nights Survival Craft | 1,000,000 | 5,000,000 |
| Mcqueen Car Racing Game | 500,000 | 1,000,000 |
| Addon Pixelmon for MCPE | 500,000 | 1,000,000 |
| CoolCraft PE | 100,000 | 500,000 |
| Exploration Pro WorldCraft | 100,000 | 500,000 |
| Draw Kawaii | 100,000 | 500,000 |
| San Andreas City Craft | 100,000 | 500,000 |
| Subway Banana Run Surf | 100,000 | 500,000 |
| Exploration Lite : Wintercraft | 100,000 | 500,000 |
| Addon GTA for Minecraft PE | 100,000 | 500,000 |
| Addon Sponge Bob for MCPE | 100,000 | 500,000 |
| Drawing Lessons Angry Birds | 50,000 | 100,000 |
| Temple Crash Jungle Bandicoot | 50,000 | 100,000 |
| Drawing Lessons Lego Star Wars | 50,000 | 100,000 |
| Drawing Lessons Chibi | 50,000 | 100,000 |
| Girls Exploration Lite | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| Drawing Lessons Subway Surfers | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| Paw Puppy Run Subway Surf | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| Flash Slither Skin IO | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| Invisible Slither Skin IO | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| Drawing Lessons Lego Ninjago | 10,000 | 50,000 |
| Drawing Lessons Lego Chima | 5,000 | 10,000 |
| Temple Bandicoot Jungle Run | 1,000 | 5,000 |
| Blockcraft 3D | 1,000 | 5,000 |
| Jungle Survival Craft 1.0 | 1,000 | 5,000 |
| Easy Draw Octonauts | 1,000 | 5,000 |
| halloweenskinsforminecraft | 1,000 | 5,000 |
| skinsyoutubersmineworld | 1,000 | 5,000 |
| youtubersskins | 1,000 | 5,000 |
| DiadelosMuertos | 500 | 1,000 |
| Draw X-Men | 500 | 1,000 |
| Moviesskinsforminecraft | 500 | 1,000 |
| Virtual Family – Baby Craft | 500 | 1,000 |
| Mine Craft Slither Skin IO | 500 | 1,000 |
| Guide Clash IO | 100 | 500 |
| Invisible Skin for Slither IO app | 100 | 500 |
| Zombie Island Craft Survival | 100 | 500 |
| HalloweenMakeUp | 100 | 500 |
| ThanksgivingDay | 100 | 500 |
| ThanksgivingDay2 | 100 | 500 |
| Jurassic Survival Craft Game | 100 | 500 |
| Players Unknown Battle Ground | 100 | 500 |
| Subway Bendy Ink Machine Game | 100 | 500 |
| Shin Hero Boy Adventure Game | 100 | 500 |
| Temple Runner Castle Rush | 100 | 500 |
| Dragon Shell for Super Slither | 100 | 500 |
| Flash Skin for Slither IO app | 50 | 100 |
| AnimePictures | 50 | 100 |
| Pixel Survival – Zombie Apocalypse | 50 | 100 |
| Fire Skin for Slither IO app | 10 | 50 |
| San Andreas Gangster Crime | 10 | 50 |
| fidgetspinnerforminecraft | 10 | 50 |
| Stickman Fighter 2018 | 10 | 50 |
| Subway Run Surf | 10 | 50 |
| Guide Vikings Hunters | 10 | 50 |
| Woody Pecker | 10 | 50 |
| Pack of Super Skins for Slither | 10 | 50 |
| Spinner Toy for Slither | 10 | 50 |
| How to Draw Coco and The Land of the Dead | 10 | 50 |
| How to Draw Dangerous Snakes and Lizards Species | 1 | 5 |
| How to Draw Real Monster Trucks and Cars | 1 | 5 |
| How to Draw Animal World of The Nut Job 2 | 1 | 5 |
| How to Draw Batman Legends in Lego Style | 1 | 5 |
[Image – CC BY 2.0 Uncalno Tekno]
