Android users warned: Remove these five apps; they're malware threats

Most applications on Google Play pose no threat, but that doesn’t mean Android users are completely safe. Five applications have been detected as malware. It’s best to remove them from your phone.

The Google Play store offers a plethora of Android applications that will certainly be useful to users. Unfortunately, every now and then, we learn that an application poses a threat. This time, not one but five applications have been identified as sources of malware.

According to Kaspersky, as many as five dangerous applications were detected in the Google Play store:

• AirFS
• Astro Explorer
• Amber
• CryptoPulsing
• Brain Matrix

Together, these malicious applications on Google Play have been downloaded over 32,000 times, with the majority—30,305 downloads—attributed to AirFS. These malicious applications were available in many countries, but most downloads came from Canada, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Spain, Peru, and the United Kingdom.

Mandrake is an advanced spying platform first described by Bitdefender in 2020. Now, the malware has returned, although it should be noted that these applications entered Google Play in the first half of 2022, and the threat has only been detected now. The applications were updated during this time—for example, the latest update to AirFS was on 15 March 2024.

The discussed Mandrake has an advanced arsenal of techniques to bypass Android security. The malware can intercept user data, record the screen, or install additional applications without your knowledge and consent. If you have any of these applications on your phone—delete them.