Researchers at Trend Micro identified a set of mobile apps available on the Google Play Store performing malicious tasks in the background, including stealing user credentials and banking details from Android users. Some of these apps have nearly 100,000 downloads, so the scope of the problem is considerable.
In total, the analysis revealed the detection of 200 malicious applications that hide code from dangerous malware variants, capable of putting users of the affected devices in serious trouble.
One of the main threats identified is Facestealer, a spyware variant capable of stealing Facebook access credentials, allowing subsequent phishing campaigns, social engineering, and invasive advertising. Facestealer is constantly updated and there are multiple versions, making it easy for them to get into the Play Store.
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