Google House-Cleaning with Google Play Store; 29 Malware Apps 'Kicked to the Curb'

[dgstorm]

Google went on a spree recently with some Google Play Store house cleaning. They found 29 malicious apps and "kicked them to the proverbial curb." These apps were identified by Symantec, and apparently, collected email addresses and phone numbers after being installed. Here's a quote with a few more details,

The first app appeared in the store as early as February. The first deployment was embedded into a variety of different types of app ranging from contact managers to diet assistance. Proving unpopular, the developers released a second round. The second wave all had titles that ended in “the Movie”, and played a video about popular Japanese video games. These apps were installed an estimated 70,000 to 300,000 times. Essentially, the app would simultaneously download the user requested movie while uploading the user’s contact list to a remote server.

Joji Hamada from Symantec said, “According to Yomiuri Online, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has begun investigating this incident and is attempting to track down the developers.”

It's nice to see them taking care of things, although it makes you wonder how many they don't find...

Source: PhoneArena

 

[gthotie5]

How do these apps get approved to be on the market in the first place?

 

[tjk629]

How do these apps get approved to be on the market in the first place?

There is no approval process for the Play Store.

 

[johnm93359]

Where is the list of apps?

 

[NeoPhoenixTE]

Where is the list of apps?

Likely no list, but a good way to check if you have it is to check every app you have in the Play Store, and see if any come back as unavailable.

Also, the context makes me think this was a Japan-oriented (no pun intended) raid as it involed Tokyo Metropolitan Police.

 

[kptphalkon]

How many have they missed? I've seen all types of shifty looking apps just browsing the market, judging by name alone. How can a programmer be so terrible at spelling? That itself turns me away.

 

[gthotie5]

There is no approval process for the Play Store.

That's the problem.

Sent from my GalaxyNexus using DroidForums

 

[Narsil]

That's the problem.

Sent from my GalaxyNexus using DroidForums

If you want an OS-approved-app-only store, head right on over and get yourself an ifone. I'll stick with a more freedom-oriented market, thank you very much.

 

[altspeed]

Not all devs have english as their primary language.

Sent from my DROID BIONIC using DroidForums

 

[Lars]

I recently did some research into this very topic (for my Intro to Intellectual Property course), and there are clear problems with the market, but it's what the consumer wants. Many of us choose android because it is open source and anyone with the right skill set can be a developer and sell or give away apps in the android market (Google Play). The problem is that Google, with the exception of this "house-cleaning," does almost nothing to regulate the apps. They admit in their developer agreement that they don't monitor the applications, and rely on feedback to find malicious apps.

Further, besides requiring developers to divulge the permissions required by each app, what assurance do any of us have that our privacy is not being infringed upon? If I download a weather app, I assume GPS is required to provide me an accurate forecast, but do I really know that to be the case? Bottom line, only download apps from developers you trust, and take time to read reviews before downloading some random app from the depths of the market.

 

[gthotie5]

If you want an OS-approved-app-only store, head right on over and get yourself an ifone. I'll stick with a more freedom-oriented market, thank you very much.

I was just pointing out the problem, thought i made it clear...oh well lol

 

[delcopa]

If you want an OS-approved-app-only store, head right on over and get yourself an ifone. I'll stick with a more freedom-oriented market, thank you very much.

That process can take years if they feel they don't want the app on their market place, and they even charge the developers $150/year I know cause I signed up and only good thing was you got advanced and pre leased OS versions. Google is much cheaper when I first signed up with them it was like $25 but no access to pre released versions.....Bummer there......but when charged more and you make an app and it takes years to get it online of course they have to charge more to the customer to make back the money for the development fee. I'll stick with Google!