Scareware found hidden in Google Play apps downloaded by millions

Google has done a good job at keeping data-stealing Trojan apps out of Google Play, but attackers still find ways to monetize rogue apps through the store.

Avast Software researchers recently found three apps on Google Play with hidden adware functionality that was designed to activate days after the apps were installed. The rogue applications—a game called Durak, an IQ test and a history app—had been downloaded millions of times.

When people first install Durak, it looks and acts like a normal gaming app, Avast researcher Filip Chytry said in a blog post Tuesday. “This impression remains until you reboot your device and wait for a couple of days. After a week, you might start to feel there is something wrong with your device.”

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