If at any time you see that your computer or mobile is malfunctioning, that you think you have a virus that slows down the Internet or even steals your data, the first thing you should think about is whether you have installed something recently. It is a fact that through applications malware can sneak into us without us noticing. In this article we report on an app that has infected millions of mobile devices. The worst thing is that it was on Google Play .
A Google Play application has a virus
We always say that it is important to download programs from official and safe sources. For example the pages of that application or official stores like Google Play. However, as we see in this example, we can still run into problems. If an attacker sneaks a dangerous program into the official Google store, it can affect many more users.
The specific app is Color Message , which has been downloaded hundreds of thousands of times from Google Play. It contained the Joker malware and, although it has already been removed from the official store, it has been downloaded many times and there may still be many users who have this program installed.
This application is used to personalize the messages and give them color. It doesn’t do much more than that, but enough that many have downloaded it, even if only to test it. But of course, what matters least here is what that app is for, since the question is that the Joker virus has crept in.
Joker is one of the most dangerous threats for Android. It is capable of performing different actions, such as simulating clicks on malicious ads and thus generating income, subscribing victims to paid services or registering the contact list and sending the information to the attackers.
According to security researchers, this app has had many negative reviews . This suggests that users have realized that there is something strange with this program, something that becomes more than evident if they have paid for services that they have not really hired.
What to do to avoid this problem
The first thing we must do to avoid malicious applications is to avoid downloading those that may be suspicious . Although in this case we are facing a program that has crept into the official Google Play store itself, the truth is that a fundamental advice is to always install from this type of platform, since we will have more guarantees.
A good safety program is also essential. An antivirus can help us detect threats quickly and remove files that may be a danger. Likewise, to maintain security we must have the system always updated and correct any failure that may appear.
What if you have installed Color Message? Logically you should uninstall it as soon as possible , change passwords and make sure that you are not paying for any service that you have not contracted. Although it has already been removed from Google Play, it can still be installed on many mobiles around the world and victims do not really know the extent of the problem.
