Google took down the applications containing Joker

Jun 21, 2021 09:54 GMT  ·  By

For the past three years, Google Play Store has been home to the infamous "Joker" spyware. A recent analysis from Quick Heal Security Labs shows that the malware has now been detected in 8 new applications, says Indian Express.  

Joker is a spyware that makes its way silently into your phone and collects information without you even knowing. There have also been reports of sign ups for premium subscriptions and other paid services, for users who added a payment method. Luckily, Google reacted quickly and already pulled them from Play Store.

Get rid of these 8 apps right away 

Fast Magic SMS, Super SMS, Auxiliary messages, Super Message, Free CamScanner, Element Scanner, Travel wallpaper, and Go messages are the applications found to contain the malware. The research also states that malware authors distribute these apps on messaging apps, wallpaper apps, and scanner apps in the Play store. If you download them recently then it is highly recommended to uninstall them.

According to the report from Quick Heal, these programs ask for notification access on startup, request access to SMS, contacts and phone call permissions. The apps then monitor all the data passing through these channels in the background.

Always download apps from trusted developers

You are also advised to take the following precautions to make your smartphone safer:  

  • Turn off the unknown source option.  
  • Learn how to recognize fake Play Store applications.  
  • Before accepting or allowing new permissions, read the pop-up questions prompted by the Android operating system.  
  • Do not download third-party apps by clicking on links in SMS, Emails, or WhatsApp messages 
  • Avoid installing apps downloaded after clicking on an ad. 
  • Avoid downloading an app that has typos and grammatical errors in its description. Original apps have clean titles and descriptions.
  • Pay attention to reviews and ratings, especially to those with low ratings. Users' experiences can provide helpful information.
  • Look at the downloads, as popular ones have a very high count. Then again, you should bear in mind that hundreds or even thousands of apps were downloaded before being marked as fake and removed.