Android apps with spyware installed 421 million times from Google Play
30-May-23
Numerous apps, many of which were previously available on Google Play and had a combined total of over 400 million downloads, were found to contain a new Android virus that was deployed as an advertisement SDK. The spyware module was identified by Dr. Web security experts as ‘SpinOk,’ and they cautioned that it might be used to collect sensitive information from users’ devices and send it to a distant server.
According to the antivirus firm, SpinkOk uses minigames that result in “daily rewards” to pique user interest, which appears to be an acceptable behaviour. According to the research by Doctor Web, the SpinOk module appears to be created with the intention of keeping users interested in apps through the use of micro games, a system of tasks, and purported awards and reward drawings.
