Delete these apps

Security experts at Eset, which makes antivirus software for a number of platforms, have discovered a double-digit number of malicious apps infected with the VajraSpy spy tool for Android devices.

Six of the apps were available in the Play Store.

According to the company, the 12 apps can steal personal data, but can also record phone calls ESET on its websites.

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Data can be extracted

– All but one of the apps pretended to be messaging apps. The latest app appeared as a news app, the antivirus manufacturer wrote.

Apps infected with VajraSpy can retrieve contact information, files, call logs, SMS messages, and photos, but they can also recover data from apps like Signal and WhatsApp, according to Eset.

According to the antivirus manufacturer, Android users were allegedly tricked into installing apps by sending links in chat services where the senders made it look like they were checking out the services. Additionally, as mentioned earlier, six of the apps were available for free in the Play Store, before they were removed by Google.

The trick you should know

It secures users

In a statement to Sleeping computer Google says it takes security and privacy seriously.

– If we find an app that violates our guidelines, we take action. Users are protected with Google Play Protect, which can warn of apps known to perform malicious actions on Android devices using Google Play Services, but also apps that come from sources outside of Play, a Google spokesperson told the site.

These are the affected apps that you are now advised to delete from your device: