Android users should be wary as the SharkBot malware is back at the Google Play Store pretending to be some harmless utility app.
But instead of merely making your Android smartphone perform better, these fake apps on the official app marketplace of Google are targeting crypto wallets and online banking platforms.
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Android Google Play Store Fake Apps Contains SharkBot Malware
As per a recent report by Bleeping Computer, the nasty Sharkbot malware is back with a vengeance at the Google Play Store, targeting millions of potential Android phone users.
The Play Store is full of countless seemingly bloatware utility apps, promising to make your mobile devices perform more efficiently and securely.
Most offerings bring features like deep cleaning to free up your storage from unnecessary files. Meanwhile, some options vow to keep your phone secure from malicious malware.
But it turns out that fake versions of these apps are actually doing the entire opposite. Not to mention, these fraudulent counterparts make way for the return of the SharkBot malware in the Play Store.
A Bleeping Computer report notes that two apps at the Play Store come with the SharkBot malware. It looks like these apps did not include any malicious code when it was initially submitted for the automatic review of Google.
However, the developers of these Google Play Store apps have updated it and now include the SharkBot malware.
Google Play Store Apps with SharkBot Malware
According to a news story by Coin Telegraph, one of the Play Store apps with the SharkBot malware is a utility app that goes by the name "Mister Phone Cleaner."
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The app claims that it could clean your smartphone and also "extend battery" and "increase" its speed. To be fair, who wouldn't want better battery life and overall performance? So it is not surprising that it has already garnered roughly 50,000 downloads at the Play Store as of writing.
Meanwhile, the other app ironically promises to secure smartphones, as its name, Kylhavy Mobile Security, implies.
Although it vows to secure your Android device, which is fairly enticing, it only got around 10,000 downloads on the app marketplace.
Read Also: 35 Android Apps with Malware Have Been Spotted in the Google Play Store
SharkBot Malware: How Nasty is it?
The malicious Sharkbot malware is not entirely new in town. In fact, Bleeping Computer reports that malware cybersecurity experts from the Italian firm Cleafy first discovered it way back in October 2021.
Meanwhile, the first-ever Play Store apps that started spreading it first saw the light of day in March 2022.
The SharkBot malware has pretty alarming hacking capabilities, such as intercepting text messages, keylogging to steal passwords, and accessing targeted devices by abusing the Accessibility features on Android.
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