Urgent warning to Android users to remove these 5 apps now

Android users have been warned to delete five apps infected with malware, and Samsung Galaxy owners should be especially vigilant.

Apps downloaded from the Google Play Store harbor a particularly nasty bug called Anatsa, a banking trojan.

This Trojan horse is a virus that can perform actions on behalf of the victim, such as withdrawing money from a bank account, without the victim’s knowledge.

Experts from security firm Threat Fabric said these apps pose a “significant” threat to Android users, especially Samsung Galaxy phone users.

“What was unique about this dropper was the malicious code that specifically targeted Samsung devices,” the company said in a statement.

‘The malicious AccessibilityService was tailored to interact with the UI [user interface] This means that only Samsung users were affected at this stage of the campaign.

“This suggests that the attackers were initially developing and testing their code specifically for Samsung devices.”

Although these apps have now been removed from the store, security teams are urging Android users to check their devices now, as they may still be at risk even if they have been downloaded.

A Google spokesperson said: “All apps identified in the report have been removed from Google Play.” Android users are automatically protected from known versions of this malware by Google Play Protect. Google Play Protect is enabled by default on Android devices with Google Play Services.

“Google Play Protect can warn users or block apps that are known to exhibit malicious behavior, even if those apps come from sources outside of Play.”

Anasta gained attention in 2023, but has been seen since 2021.

“Over the past four months, we have observed five different waves of this campaign, each focused on a different region,” the team said.

However, they do not expect the virus to disappear anytime soon, saying: “Based on this pattern, we expect this campaign to continue, with new droppers appearing in official stores and expanding to additional target locations.” Stated.

Users are advised to protect their phones by being careful about the permissions they allow on their devices and remove apps that are not used unless they trust the developer.

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