Google removes publisher’s 21 trojan-laced apps from Android Market

By Adam Rosenberg Published March 3, 2011

Apple fans get to have a little snicker here. One of the great strengths that Mac platforms offer over Windows PC platforms is their relatively infallibility when it comes to the dangers presented by the modern-day computer virus. It turns out that Google’s Android OS is a likely target for malicious programmers as well. Publisher Myournet has been removed from the Android Market by Google, along with its 21 apps that were a malicious trojan horse, Android Police reports.

Myournet actually took pre-existing apps from other developers, inserted the dangerous code and then repurposed those apps as its own releases. The pesky malware is actually rather dangerous, a root exploit that is able to steal all of the infected device’s data and even download more code for causing further mischief.

Recommended Videos

To its credit, Google reacted quickly and decisively upon learning the news. Android Police learned of the trojan from Reddit user lompolo. They alerted Google after verifying the claim and reported that the offending apps were pulled from the Android Market in less than five minutes.

Unfortunately, it was only quick enough to halt the further proliferation of Myournet’s attack. The 21 apps were popular ones, with more than 50,000 downloads overall. That same number of people now also have a deeply embedded trojan horse to contend with, though Android Police notes that plans are already in motion to develop a fix.

This is the tradeoff of offering an app marketplace with a less restrictive set of product guidelines. Apple’s draconian verification process for the App Store means you get less, but you worry less. That doesn’t mean it’s the best approach, but Android Marketplace users will certainly want to be more careful about what they download moving forward.

UPDATE: A list of the affected apps is below.

Falling Down
Super Guitar Solo
Super History Eraser
Photo Editor
Super Ringtone Maker
Super Sex Positions
Hot Sexy Videos
Chess
下坠滚球_Falldown
Hilton Sex Sound
Screaming Sexy Japanese Girls
Falling Ball Dodge
Scientific Calculator
Dice Roller
躲避弹球
Advanced Currency Converter
App Uninstaller
几何战机_PewPew
Funny Paint
Spider Man
蜘蛛侠

Former Gaming/Movies Editor

Previously, Adam worked in the games press as a freelance writer and critic for a range of outlets, including Digital Trends…

Topics

Mobile

Google Maps’ new feature sees Android play catchup to iOS

Samsung Galaxy S24 in Marble Gray showing Google Maps.

Android users are getting their first glimpse of a new operating system feature while using Google Maps, as the app is the first to make use of the Live Updates ability that was added for Android 16. The feature will give users updated information in their status bar so they can keep track of ongoing activity such as following directions using maps.

Similar to Apple's Live Activities system, the Android function can potentially be used by a range of apps but has first been seen in Google Maps. "Live Updates are a new class of notifications that help users monitor and quickly access important ongoing activities," Android developers explained in a post highlighting the feature when it was first announced.

Mobile

Google quietly fixed USB flaw that left over a billion Android devices exposed

Official Android mascot and splash screen on a phone.

In the first week of February, Google published its usual Android Security Bulletin, detailing security flaws that have been plugged to strengthen the platform safety. These flaws are usually declared once they have been fixed, except in special circumstances.

February is one of those rare situations for a kernel-level, high-severity flaw that was still being actively exploited at the time of the bulletin’s release. “There are indications that CVE-2024-53104 may be under limited, targeted exploitation,” says the release note.

Mobile

Tired of downloading terrible apps? This Google Play Store update will help

A person holding an Android phone while on a bike. The display shows the Google Play Store.

The Google Play Store has an estimated 3.3 million apps available, but they most certainly are not all created equal. Some are no longer updated, some don't work the way they're meant to, and others are just plain terrible — but a new update to the Play Store could make finding the diamonds in the rough much easier.

This update is already live for some users, but it's still rolling out to others. When browsing the Play Store, warnings will appear just below the app information and provide a high-level overview of its performance. For example, it might warn that an app is frequently uninstalled, or the app might not get as much engagement compared to others, according to Android Authority.