Android is the most popular operating system for phones in the whole world, but unfortunately it is not without problems, and this is because there are still people willing to harm those who use smartphones. According to the company specialized in computer security, called Avast, no less than 151 applications with malware were discovered in the Google Play Store, and millions of people around the world were alerted about the problems brought by them.
Android has had various types of malware distributed to people around the world for some time, and the one we're talking about now is based on subscribing users to various services via SMS. The 151 applications we are talking about now were discovered to be part of a campaign called UltimaSMS, and they were available in the Google Play Store until recently, after which they were removed by Google.
Android: People ALERT to a Major Problem in Phones
Android can be exploited by malware that infects phones through these applications, and this involves stealing money from people who become victims of campaigns on which hackers create. In the case of this type of application, people are subscribed to premium services via SMS without knowing, and this is because the malware hides the subscription confirmation SMS that Android phones receive, and that's how people's money is taken without them to find out everything except when it's too late.
“The apps we discovered are part of the UltimaSMS campaign, consisting of 151 apps that were once available for download on the Google Play Store. These apps have been downloaded over 10.5 million times and are almost identical in structure and functionality; essentially copies of the same fake app used to spread the premium SMS scam campaign.
This leads me to believe that a bad actor or group is behind the whole campaign. We named the campaign 'UltimaSMS' because one of the first apps we discovered was called Ultima Keyboard 3D Pro."
Android has been targeted by various types of malware for a long time, but the 151 applications we are talking about now were downloaded by more than 10 million phones around the world before being deleted from the Google Play Store. The main people who have been affected by this malware are from the Middle East, while a few from Eastern Europe, or Turkey, have been found to have Android phones infected by this malware.
Android remains a safe operating system until the moment when users start giving applications permissions they shouldn't have, malware starts to work.