Google Play apps with >20M downloads depleted batteries and network bandwidth


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Google Play has given the boot to 16 apps with more than 20 million combined installations after researchers detected malicious activity that could cause the Android devices they ran on to drain batteries faster and use more data than normal.

The apps provided legitimate functions, including flashlight, camera, QR reading, and measurement conversions, security firm McAfee said on Wednesday. When opened, however, the apps surreptitiously downloaded additional code that caused them to perform ad fraud. From then on, infected devices received messages through the Google-owned Firebase Cloud Messaging platform that instructed them to open specific web pages in the background and select links to artificially inflate the number of clicks ads received.

“Mainly, it is visiting websites which are delivered by FCM message and browsing them successively in the background while mimicking user’s behavior,” McAfee’s SangRyol Ryu wrote. “This may cause heavy network traffic and consume power without user awareness during the time it generates profit for the threat actor behind this malware.”

All of the malicious apps came with a code library named com.liveposting, which acts as an agent and runs hidden adware services. Other apps also came with an additional library called com.click.cas, which focused on the automated clicking functionality. To conceal the fraudulent behavior, the apps waited about an hour after installation before running the libraries.

Ad fraud works through affiliate programs, which allow a third party to receive a cut of the ad revenue in return for providing links that lead end users to ads. Rather than genuinely bringing real users to the site, the fraudsters simulate the referral using bots or other automated methods to mimic real user engagement.

The apps detected by McAfee include:

SHA256 Package name Name Downloaded
a84d51b9d7ae675c38e260b293498db071b1dfb08400b4f65ae51bcda94b253e com.hantor.CozyCamera High-Speed Camera 10,000,000+
00c0164d787db2ad6ff4eeebbc0752fcd773e7bf016ea74886da3eeceaefcf76 com.james.SmartTaskManager Smart Task Manager 5,000,000+
b675404c7e835febe7c6c703b238fb23d67e9bd0df1af0d6d2ff5ddf35923fb3 kr.caramel.flash_plus Flashlight+ 1,000,000+
65794d45aa5c486029593a2d12580746582b47f0725f2f002f0f9c4fd1faf92c com.smh.memocalendar 달력메모장 1,000,000+
82723816760f762b18179f3c500c70f210bbad712b0a6dfbfba8d0d77753db8d com.joysoft.wordBook K-Dictionary 1,000,000+
b252f742b8b7ba2fa7a7aa78206271747bcf046817a553e82bd999dc580beabb com.kmshack.BusanBus BusanBus 1,000,000+
a2447364d1338b73a6272ba8028e2524a8f54897ad5495521e4fab9c0fd4df6d com.candlencom.candleprotest Flashlight+ 500,000+
a3f484c7aad0c49e50f52d24d3456298e01cd51595c693e0545a7c6c42e460a6 com.movinapp.quicknote Quick Note 500,000+
a8a744c6aa9443bd5e00f81a504efad3b76841bbb33c40933c2d72423d5da19c com.smartwho.SmartCurrencyConverter Currency Converter 500,000+
809752e24aa08f74fce52368c05b082fe2198a291b4c765669b2266105a33c94 com.joysoft.barcode Joycode 100,000+
262ad45c077902d603d88d3f6a44fced9905df501e529adc8f57a1358b454040 com.joysoft.ezdica EzDica 100,000+
1caf0f6ca01dd36ba44c9e53879238cb46ebb525cb91f7e6c34275c4490b86d7 com.schedulezero.instapp Instagram Profile Downloader 100,000+
78351c605cfd02e1e5066834755d5a57505ce69ca7d5a1995db5f7d5e47c9da1 com.meek.tingboard Ez Notes 100,000+
4dd39479dd98124fd126d5abac9d0a751bd942b541b4df40cb70088c3f3d49f8 com.candlencom.flashlite 손전등 1,000+
309db11c2977988a1961f8a8dbfc892cf668d7a4c2b52d45d77862adbb1fd3eb com.doubleline.calcul 계산기 100+
bf1d8ce2deda2e598ee808ded71c3b804704ab6262ab8e2f2e20e6c89c1b3143 com.dev.imagevault Flashlight+ 100+

In a statement, a Google spokesperson noted that all apps reported by McAfee had been removed. The representative went on to say: “Users are also protected by Google Play Protect, which blocks these apps on Android devices.” The spokesperson didn’t answer a follow-up question asking how the apps racked up 20 million installations if they’re blocked.

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