Users of barcode scanning app named Barcode reader It had a nasty surprise in December: After the app was updated, ads for other untrustworthy apps are displayed. It’s time for an update, Barcode Scanner thus becomes a real adware hotspot.
Free app developed by Lavabird Downloaded more than 10 million times on Google Play Store. According to antivirus vendor Malwarebytes, the December 4 update turned the app into a virus, because users are viewing pop-up ads on their mobile browsers. According to Malwarebytes, the malicious code was intentionally added by Lavabird.
also readnt : Play Store: Quickly uninstall these 21 Android apps, they hide malware!
How does Barecode Scanner attack users?
According to Malwarebytes, the malicious code activates a few minutes after the update is installed. The smartphone’s browser then automatically loads a pop-up window that looks like Google and advises the user to download a “Rocket Cleaner” app from the Play Store to protect their device from viruses. An application that has nothing to do with an antivirus and offers to optimize the system.
The app has since been removed from the Google Play Store., however, Malwarebytes states that removing it from the app store did not cause it to be removed from victims’ phones. If you have downloaded this application, therefore it should be deleted as soon as possible.. The Barecode Scanner app appears to be owned by another developer based in India, also called Barecode Scanner. That might explain why it hasn’t been a problem so far..
Despite all of Google’s efforts to block the path to this type of malware, some manage to get through the cracks. A few months ago, the Joker malware attacked 17 very popular apps on the Play Store as well. Applications that can be dangerous to users are not only applications from independent developers. Sometimes it is within the more well-known applications that viruses circulate.like this ultra-dangerous Android malware that recently spread to Facebook’s WhatsApp messaging app.
Source : malware bytes
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