Skip to main content

Delete these 17 malware-infested iPhone apps immediately

Apple removed 17 apps from the App Store this week after researchers discovered that the apps were infected with malware.

The apps in question were discovered by mobile security company Wandera and were published by the company AppAspect Technologies. While all of the apps did what they claimed to do in the app store, they also had some pretty gnarly things going on in the background:

Recommended Videos

“The clicker trojan module discovered in this group of applications is designed to carry out ad fraud-related tasks in the background, such as continuously opening web pages or clicking links without any user interaction,” Wandera explains.”The objective of most clicker trojans is to generate revenue for the attacker on a pay-per-click basis by inflating website traffic. They can also be used to drain the budget of a competitor by artificially inflating the balance owed to the ad network.”

Apple iPhone 11 Pro and Pro Max blurry hero shot | Apple September 2019 Event Keynote
Julian Chokkattu/Digital Trends

While malicious, the only impact to users would have been slower phone performance and inflated data use. The apps were able to bypass Apple’s approval process because the malicious activity was happening not within the app’s code, but rather through contact with a remote server.

Here’s the full list of AppAspect iPhone apps infected with the malware:

  • RTO Vehicle Information
  • EMI Calculator & Loan Planner
  • File Manager – Documents
  • Smart GPS Speedometer
  • CrickOne – Live Cricket Scores
  • Daily Fitness – Yoga Poses
  • FM Radio PRO – Internet Radio
  • My Train Info – IRCTC & PNR
  • Around Me Place Finder
  • Easy Contacts Backup Manager
  • Ramadan Times 2019 Pro
  • Restaurant Finder – Find Food
  • BMT Calculator PRO – BMR Calc
  • Dual Accounts Pro
  • Video Editor – Mute Video
  • Islamic World PRO – Qibla
  • Smart Video Compressor

We’ve reached out to AppAspect to see if they’re working on fixing the malware and will update this story if we hear back.

Wandera notes that while it found 17 apps by AppAspect that were infected by malware, the company currently has 51 apps in the App Store. The company tested the free apps offered by the company, which is where it found the 17 infected apps. The 18 other free apps offered by the company in the App Store are not currently infected with malware.

Wandera notes that Android apps that were communicating the same server as the infected iOS apps were also gathering private information such as the make & model of the device, the user’s country of residence, and some configuration details.

That said, those Android apps were not ones made by AppAspect. AppAspect currently has 28 published apps on Google Play, none of which appear to be communicating with the malicious server.

Emily Price
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Emily is a freelance writer based in San Francisco. Her book "Productivity Hacks: 500+ Easy Ways to Accomplish More at…
This one iPadOS 26 feature has me excited for the iPhone Fold
Semi-open state of a foldable iPhone concept

Samsung is set to launch the seventh generation of its Galaxy Z Fold book-style folding phone this Summer, but its biggest rival is yet to show its folding phone hand. Apple has long been expected to unveil an iPhone Fold, and the latest rumors suggest that it will launch next year.

I’ve used almost every folding phone released globally, with some exceptions for extremely obscure ones. While I've always been curious what an iPhone Fold would look like, I was fairly certain that Apple shouldn't build it, as I wasn’t sure they could deliver on one necessary feature.

Read more
These three iOS 26 beta features are my favorite so far
The Liquid Design lock screen on the iOS 26 developer beta 1 running on the iPhone 16 Pro

For fans of the Apple ecosystem, it’s been an incredible week. Apple’s annual WWDC 2025 keynote revealed a whole new Liquid Glass design that’s unified across all its platforms. Also unified across all platforms is the numbering scheme, with iOS 26 designed to represent the year of release… plus one. 

The new platform doesn’t deliver one of the key things I asked for — multitasking, which is available on iPadOS 26 — but it does bring several new features that make the iPhone far more usable. 

Read more
My Android 16 update made me jealous of iOS 26… but it shouldn’t
Deep down, I know my disappointment is irrational
The Android 16 logo on the screen of the Pixel 9 Pro Fold

I've just downloaded Android 16 on my Pixel 9 Pro Fold. As someone who’s a sucker for a software update this should be a momentous occasion - so why am I feeling flat?

Whether it's an update for one of my favourite apps, or a complete operating system overhaul, I love pouring over change logs to see what's new and diving into features.

Read more