In a recent discovery by cybersecurity analysts, it has been revealed that two file management apps available on the Google Play Store are actually spyware, compromising the privacy and security of approximately 1.5 million Android users. If you have installed these apps on your Android device, it is crucial to remove them immediately. The malicious apps, namely File Recovery & Data Recovery and File Manager, have been programmed to operate silently, sending sensitive user data to servers based in China.
App Details
The spyware apps, File Recovery & Data Recovery and File Manager, were downloaded by more than 1 million and 500,000 users, respectively. Google has recently taken action to remove these apps from the Play Store. The developer associated with these apps is listed as Wang Tom in the Play Store screenshots. It is important to note that although there may be other apps named File Manager, only the one developed by Wang Tom has been identified as spyware.
Data Exfiltration
Contrary to their claims of not collecting user data, Pradeo, a leading mobile cybersecurity company, found that the apps exfiltrate various sensitive data without user consent. The data includes contacts saved on the device, email and social network contacts, pictures, audio, and video files stored within the app, real-time user location, device brand and model, mobile country code, network provider name, and operating system version. These actions occur without any permission requests, raising serious privacy concerns.
Abusive Behavior and Uninstallation
In addition to data exfiltration, the spyware apps abuse the permissions granted during installation to restart the device and operate silently in the background. Removing these apps from your device may present challenges as they hide their home screen icons, making uninstallation more difficult. Users are required to access the application list in the Settings menu to delete these apps effectively.
Protecting Your Device
If you have either File Recovery & Data Recovery or File Manager installed on your Android device and cannot find their icons on the home screen, it is essential to navigate to the Settings menu immediately to uninstall them. Furthermore, it is advisable to consider using one of the best Android antivirus apps to enhance your device’s security and protect against future malicious apps. Additionally, Google has introduced various updates to its Android ecosystem, including a useful security feature that enables users to check if their Gmail addresses have been exposed on the dark web.
To safeguard your privacy and security, it is crucial to remove the spyware apps File Recovery & Data Recovery and File Manager from your Android device. These apps have been found to send sensitive user data to servers in China without consent. Taking prompt action to delete these apps and adopting additional security measures will help protect your device and personal information from potential threats.
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