When Google and Apple remove malicious or leaky applications from their stores, people who have them on their smartphone are not notified of their dangerous behaviors. Therefore, millions of users keep them on their devices, exposing all the data they manipulate to identified threats.
In 2017, Google enhanced Play Protect to reduce the amount of malicious applications on the Play Store. It resulted in the detection and deletion of 700,000 official applications over a year.
This year, the company’s newly released “Year in review” discloses that 0.04% of application installs from Google Play are potentially harmful. While this percentage may seem small, if you consider the Android app downloads for 2018 (estimated by Sensor Tower at almost 76 billion), it means that in 2018, 30 millions of app installed from Google Play were malicious or leaky.
Despite these reinforced measures, the Pradeo Lab still frequently uncover harmful applications on official stores. Further to the findings, applications are usually quickly deleted from the stores as well as all of their existing traces. A perfect illustration would be for instance “Peel Smart Remote” which was deleted from the Google Play store last week because of its intrusive activities. However, the app still appear on Google search engine, but when clicking on the URL, it can no longer be found.
Through this approach, stores prevent the infection to spread to new users, but they don’t initiate any retroactive actions. This lack of communication has a huge impact, because according to a study conducted by the Pradeo Lab in November 2018, 89% of malicious applications that were deleted from stores are still installed on active devices 6 months after their deletion. A list of mobile applications that Google Play removed in 2019's first semester can be found at the end of this article.
As a security head, preventing the use of these malicious applications by the mobile workforce isn’t easy, because there is no official listing of them. Pradeo Security Mobile Threat Defense solution relies on a behavioral analysis engine to detect and understand every actions performed on mobile devices. Thus, Pradeo Security identifies with precision applications security level and allows organizations to block malwares (identified by stores or not) and behaviors that don’t comply with their company policy.
For more information:
- White Paper - Mobile Data Privacy (Risk analysis, leagl framework, breach prevention...)
- Article - Monetization of mobile applications: Everything about user profiling
- Webinar - Data Privacy Regulations: Why Mobile Security Is Key To Organisations Compliance
- Datasheet - Pradeo Security Mobile Threat Defense
303 applications removed by Google Play in 2019's first semester:
com.heavy.excavator.simulator.driveandtransport
com.hoverboard.racing.speed.simulator
com.zg.real.tractor.farming.simulator.game
com.ambulancerescue.driving.simulator
com.firetruckemergency.driver
com.heavymountain.bus2018simulator
com.farming.tractor.realharvest.simulator
com.carparking.challenge.parksimulator
com.watersurfing.carstunt.racing.simulator
com.speedboat.jetski.racing.simulator
com.volumen.booster.equalizer
com.ks.prado.Car.parking.race.drive.apps
com.zg.offroad.Oil.tanker.transporter.truck.cargo.simulator
com.hummerlimotaxi.simulator.driving
com.monstertruck.demolition
com.offroad.gold.transport.truck
com.sea.animals.trucktransport.simulator
com.water.surfingrace.motorbike.stunt
com.policechase.thiefpersecution
com.police.plane.transporter.game
com.ambulance.driver.extreme.rescue.simulator
com.hovercraftracer.speedracing.boat
com.cars.transport.truckdriver.simulator
com.motorbike.pizza.delivery.drivesimulator
com.heavy.excavator.stonecutter.simulator
com.bottle.shoot.archery.game
com.offroadbuggy.car.racingsimulator
com.garbagetruck.city.trash.cleaningsimulator
com.tanks.attack.simulator.war.attack
com.dinosaurpark.trainrescue
com.pirateshipboat.racing3d.simulator
com.flyingtaxi.simulator.race
com.jetpackinwater.racersimualtor.danger
com.boostervolumen.amplifiersoundandvolumen
com.farmgames.animal.farming.simulator
com.simulator.offroadjeep.car.racing
com.monstertruck.racing.competition.simulator
com.simulator.tractorfarming.driving
com.simulator.flyingcar.stunt.extremetracks.racing
com.impossible.farming.transport.simulator
com.volumenbooster.equalizerboost
com.mustang.rally.championship.racingsimulator
com.deleted.photo.recovery
com.race.boat.speedy
com.cycle.bike.racing.game
com.write.name.live.wallpaper.hd
com.maginal.unicorn.game
com.grafton.cycle.jungle.rider.race
com.lovecallingapps.lovecaller.Screen
com.city.car.funny.racing.stunt.game.pro
com.citycar.funny.racinggame.stunt.simulator
com.urban.Limo.taxi.simulation.games
com.cg.heavy.tractor.simulator.game
com.campervan.drivingsimulator.caravan
com.globalcoporation.fullscreenincomingcaller.app
com.bootleshoot.sniper
com.mustache.beard.editor
com.volumenbooster.increaservolumen
com.photoeditor.girlfriend.addgirlstophoto.pic
com.tracker.location.number.free.spy
com.garden.editor.app
com.fortunewheel.game
com.farming.transport.tractor.simulator
com.offroad.tractor.transport.drivingsimulator
com.customwallpaper.mynameonlivewallpaper
abc.apple.emoji.theme.gif.keyboard
abs.workout.fitness.tabata.hiit.stomach
com.color.call.flash.colorphone
com.color.call.flash.colorphone.theme.cupidarrow
com.color.phone.flash.caller.screen
com.cootek.smartinputv5
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.boomtextv2.keyboard_boomtext_lovev2
com.cootek.smartinputv5.celldict.en_us_Boston
com.cootek.smartinputv5.celldict.en_us_New_York
com.cootek.smartinputv5.celldict.en_us_Seattle
com.cootek.smartinputv5.emoji.emojidex
com.cootek.smartinputv5.emoji.emojione
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.language.v5.arabic
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.language.v5.french
com.cootek.smartinputv5.language.v5.german
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_glitter_unicorn
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_gold
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_gold_butterfly
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_gold_luxury_deluxe
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_gold_tattoo
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_green_life
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_green_rasta_weed
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_halloween
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_happy_mothers_day
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_holiday_shore
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_huawei_mate10_porsche
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_india_day
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_live_love_lover_keyboard
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_live_neon_heart_theme
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_live_red_neon_heart_new
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_lovely_parrots
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_lovely_teddy_bear
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_lovely_water_star_unicorn_long_eyelashes
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_luxury_diamond
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_navy_tinge
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_neon_butterfly_keyboard
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_neon_galaxy_heart
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_neon_gold_dragon
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com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_neon_sports_car
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_new_amour
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_ninja
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_oppo_f3_plus
com.cootek.smartinputv5.skin.keyboard_theme_pearl_white_keyboard
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