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Any one of them, best android smartphones You should still be careful when downloading new apps to your device. Case in point, 28 apps were recently discovered. Google Play Store This was used by hackers to turn installed smartphones into proxies.
According to reports peepee computer, HUMAN’s Satori Threat Intelligence Team discovered that these seemingly harmless apps were actually doing something fishy in the background. Of the 28 apps listed in the report, 17 masqueraded as free VPN software.
on the other hand, best free VPN Apps and services can help further protect your privacy online, but you should always be careful when installing them on your device. As someone who tests VPNs, he strongly recommends investing in one of the following in his review for Tom’s Guide: best VPN These paid solutions are much more reputable, as many have their apps and services audited by third parties to ensure they don’t contain vulnerabilities or malicious code.
Proxying your phone isn’t as bad as getting infected, but Android malware, it is still a cause for concern. Residential proxies have legitimate uses, such as market research and search engine optimization, but in the wrong hands, like this one, they can be used for all sorts of malicious activities. advertising fraud to Phishing And even more credential stuffing.
Here’s everything you need to know about them Good app turned bad We’ll also share some tips on how to stay safe from malicious apps.
Delete these apps now
Some of the apps listed below do not contain the malicious code used to turn the Android smartphones they are running into proxies. However, if you are concerned that hackers are using your device for cybercrime, we recommend that you manually remove these apps if you have them installed on your smartphone.
- light vpn
- animes keyboard
- blaze stride
- Byteblade VPN
- Android 12 launcher
- Android 13 launcher
- Android 14 launcher
- captain droid feed
- free old classic movies
- phone comparison
- Fast Fly VPN
- Fastfox VPN
- Fastline VPN
- Funny Char Ging Animation
- limousine edge
- Oko VPN
- phone app launcher
- Quick Flow VPN
- Sample VPN
- secure sander
- shine secure
- speed surf
- Swift Shield VPN
- Turbo Track VPN
- Turbo Tunnel VPN
- Yellow Flash VPN
- VPN Ultra
- Run a VPN
Turn your phone into a proxy
What all 28 apps have in common is that they use LumiApps’ software development kit (SDK). The company also operates an Android app monetization platform that uses the device’s IP address to load his web pages in the background and sends the obtained data to companies.
This usually comes from well-known sites and, according to the LumiApps website, is “done in a way that never disrupts users and is fully GDPR/CCPA compliant.” All of this is done with the end goal of helping companies “improve their databases and offer better products, services, and pricing.”
In theory, this seems harmless, albeit a bit of an annoyance, but if you download a free app instead of a paid one, it’s worth the price. What LumiaApps probably didn’t expect was that hackers would find a way to use the app monetization platform for their own benefit.
Security researchers at HUMAN examined these 28 apps and found that they all included a Golang library used to perform proxy operations called “Proxylib.” The first app the company discovered to include his Proxylib was Free Android VPN app It’s called Oko VPN. Security researchers later discovered that this same library was used by his LumiApps Android app monetization service.
Based on our findings, HUMAN believes these malicious apps are associated with a Russian residential proxy service provider called Asocks. Please note that Asocks’ services are frequently advertised on the following sites: hacking forum online.
Earlier this year, LumiApps released a new version of their SDK that includes Proxylib v2. Apparently this was done to address an “integration issue”, but it’s unclear if it could be exploited in hacker attacks.
Google has since removed the remaining apps and all new apps that use the LumiApps SDK from the Play Store. Similarly, some developers who were using the SDK removed his SDK to fix their apps, while others republished the same apps using a different developer account. Masu.
How to protect yourself from malicious apps
To protect yourself and your device from malicious apps, you should first: Avoid installing unnecessary apps On your Android smartphone. Ask yourself if you really need the app in question and check its ratings and reviews before installing it. However, be aware that reviews and ratings can be fake. That’s why we always recommend watching a video review to see the app in question in action.
In terms of security, please make sure that: Google Play Protect It’s enabled because it scans both existing apps and new apps you download for malware and other threats. However, for added protection, you should consider installing one of the following: Best Android antivirus app, Too.
I can’t recommend free VPN apps, or free VPNs in general, enough. Most VPN services are very cheap for the services they offer, and if you shop wisely you can often get a good deal. ExpressVPN, NordVPN, surf shark or other top providers. For example, I purchased his 2-year subscription to Surfshark at a huge discount on his Black Friday a year and a half ago, and it’s still going strong.
Hackers and other cybercriminals will continue to release malicious apps and try to turn good apps into bad ones by injecting malicious code. That’s because modern smartphones store so much personal and financial data. For this reason, you should think carefully and do proper research before installing any new app on your smartphone, no matter how popular it is.
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