104 Android apps in the Play Store are hiding this malware

New Android malware has been spotted on the Play Store. Dubbed Soraka, the malware hides in the code of 104 applications found on the Google Play store. In total, they have been downloaded by more than 4.6 million Internet users worldwide in the past few months.

This December 19, 2019, cybersecurity researchers from White Ops Threat Intelligence revealed the presence of 104 fraudulent Android applications on the Play Store. A malware called Soraka (a Russian name from slang) has been identified in the applications code. Its only objective is to display intrusive ads on the screen of the smartphone of its victims. The malware is even capable of displaying ads on the standby or locked screen. Thanks to adware of this kind, hackers generate advertising revenue in record time.

More sophisticated than the latest adware spotted on Android, Soraka is able to hide its presence from detection systems. "Fraudsters are getting smarter - they know it's an arms race now, so they're trying to slow the analysis down with tactics. We are seeing more and more concealment tips, ” explains John Laycock, a researcher at White Ops, to our colleagues in Forbes. For example, Soraka waits a certain amount of time after installation to flood the victim with advertisements. In addition, the malware is capable of stopping the appearance of announcements if a detection system is in progress.

Most of the apps containing Soraka were put online on the Play Store only a few months ago, generally around September 2019. However, researchers believe that the malware quickly managed to infiltrate 4, 6 million Android smartphones. Before installing an unknown application, we advise you to check if the package name is not in the list below:

Warned by White Ops, Google should quickly remove the affected applications from its platform. To avoid unpleasant surprises, White Ops advises Android users to consult the reviews and comments before installing an application.