17 malicious apps on Android that users need to remove immediately from the phone

The Joker is one of the most popular Android malware, infamous for its payment fraud and espionage capabilities including stealing SMS messages, contact list and device information.

First discovered in 2017, the Joker's frequency is increasing with a series of infected Android apps. They continually find new attacks that target vulnerabilities in the Play Store's security audits.

17 malicious apps on Android that users need to remove immediately from the phone Picture 1

As noted by ZScaler, all 17 malicious apps have been uploaded to Google Play since September 2020 and have more than 120,000 downloads.

Now, Google has removed all of the apps listed above, and also disables them on devices that have the app installed using Play Protect.

However, users who have downloaded these applications to their device still have to manually delete the apps.

17 malicious apps on Android that users need to remove immediately from the phone Picture 2

If your phone has any of the following apps, remove them immediately, according to ZScaler:

1. All Good PDF Scanner
2. Mint Leaf Message Your Private Message
3. Unique Keyboard Fancy Fonts & Free Emoticons
4. Tangram App Lock
5. Direct Messenger
6. Private SMS
7. One Sentence Translator Multifunctional Translator
8. Style Photo Collage
9. Meticulous Scanner
10. Desire Translate
11. Talent Photo Editor Blur focus
12. Care Message
13. Part Message
14. Paper Doc Scanner
15. Blue Scanner
16. Hummingbird PDF Converter Photo to PDF
17. All Good PDF Scanner

To uninstall apps, go to Settings> Apps> Manage Apps, select the names of the apps above and click Uninstall.

At the same time, in order not to be charged from the card, users need to unsubscribe from the application.

First, open Google Play on your phone, click on the menu (the three-dash icon) in the upper left corner, then select Subscriptions.

In the new window that appears, users just need to select the applications that are being trialed or do not want to use anymore and then click Cancel Subscription (unsubscribe).

17 malicious apps on Android that users need to remove immediately from the phone Picture 3

In order not to be charged unjustly, users need to unsubscribe from malicious applications if downloaded by mistake. 

Lesley Montoya

Update 15 December 2020