- The 164 adware apps push ads persistently on your phone
- These 164 apps include titles like Assistive Touch, Battery Saver Pro, Clean My Android – Antivirus, Collage Maker, among others
- The apps carry extremely similar names and description to various popular Android apps
A total of 164 apps were found to be pushing malicious out-of-context ads on Android phones under the com.tdc.adservice package, as reported by the White Ops Satori Threat Intelligence and Research Team. Google removed these apps from the Play Store prior to the report being published online. This means the said apps will not pose any risk to new users as they’re removed from the source itself. These 164 apps include titles like Assistive Touch, Battery Saver Pro, Clean My Android – Antivirus, and Collage Maker, among others, and have a combined download of over 10 million. However, this is a rather simple cyberattack and is nowhere as serious as malware spreading threats that have made millions of Android phones vulnerable in the past. If you’re someone who has a careful screening process for the apps that are downloaded from the Play Store, you’re unlikely to have fallen prey to this notorious ad campaign.
List of 164 Android apps pushing ads on your phone
- 100 mb Internet Speed Test – Broadband Speed Test
- 2 Ways Call Recorder Automatic, Record Phone Calls
- 3D Awesome Frame Effects
- 3D Photo Editor
- 3D Photo Frames Effects & 3D Art Photo Maker
- 3D Tattoo Photo Editor & Ideas
- Animals Sound Ringtones Real Free
- Anti WannaCry Virus – Android
- Antivirus – Virus Remover
- Antivirus 2017
- Antivirus 2017 & Cleaner
- Antivirus 2020, Cleaner & Booster
- Antivirus For Android
- Antivirus Pro 2017
- Applock 2020 – App Locker & privacy guard
- AppLock New 2019 – Privacy Zone & Lock your apps
- Assistive Touch 2018
- Assistive Touch 2020
- Audio Video Editor
- Audio Video Editor Mixer 2019 – Video Cutter
- Audio Video Mixer
- AV Antivirus 2017
- Battery Doctor – Power Battery 2018
- Battery Doctor 2018 – Fast Charger
- Battery Saver – Fast Charging
- Battery Saver – Saving Battery
- Battery Saver Pro
- Battery Saver Pro 2020 – New Power Saver
- BeanPro Antivirus
- Big Front – Change Front Size
- Block Puzzle 102: New Tentris Mania
- boost clean (junk cleaner pro)
- Calculator
- Call Block Blacklist and Block SMS Easy
- Call Recorder For Android
- Chinese Chess
- Chronometer
- Clean My Android – Antivirus
- cleaner booster -ultra-security-
- Collage Maker
- Control Center IOS 12 – Phone X Control Center
- Cool Master -CPU Device Cooler
- Disk-clean-suite
- DJ Mixer Studio 2018
- Don’t Stop Eighth Note
- Don’t Stop Eighth Note 2
- Don’t Stop Eighth Note Zombie
- Eighth Note
- Eighth Note V2
- Eighth Note: Yasuhati
- Fast Charger – Dr Battery 2017
- Feeding Fish
- Followers – Unfollowers For Insta
- free antivirus
- Free Antivirus-Mobile Security
- Free VPN Proxy – Unlimited VPN & Wifi Security
- Get Followers Up 2019
- Get Followers Up 2020
- GPS Navigation
- GPS Speedometer
- Graffiti Photo Editor – Graffiti Creator
- Holy Bible
- How Fast is My Internet – High Internet Speed Test
- Internet Speed Check 2019
- Internet Speed Test
- Internet Speed Test APK
- Internet Speed Test Free
- Internet speedmeter check
- iSwipe Phone X
- K-Lock gallery picture & video
- Learn Excel 2019
- Learn Play Piano – Pianist
- Lich Van Nien 2017
- Lịch Vạn Niên 2018 – Lịch Âm 2018
- Lion Antivirus 2017
- Lock app with Password – Applock All App Protector
- loudest alarm clock ever
- Loudest Volume Booster
- Love days counter
- Lovedays Memory 2020 – Love Counter Together
- Magnifier Zoom + Flashlight
- Male To Female Voice Changer
- Master Sudoku Offline Free 2018
- Max Cleaner – Booster, Optimizer, Super Cleaner
- Max Cleaner – Speed Booster Pro 2021
- Memory Cleaner 2020
- Milab Music Player – All format audio files
- Mine Sweep – Free Miner Game
- Motocross Racing 2018
- Mp3 cutter – Video Cutter, Easy Ringtone Maker
- MP3Cutter & Ringtone Maker 2020
- Name Art Photo Editor
- New Full Battery Saver – Battery Manager & Cleaner
- Night Mode
- Nox Cool Master – Cool Down 2020
- Old Phone Ringtones
- Optimiser Pro Cleaner Booster
- OS 13 Launcher – Phone 11 Pro Launcher
- OS Launcher 12 for iPhone X
- Phone Booster
- Phone Cleaner – Speed Booster
- Phone Cooler – Cooling Master
- Photo Editor
- Photo Editor Awesome Frame Effects 3D
- Photo Frame Effects 3D
- QR Code Scanner – QR Reader
- Quick Ball
- Quick Photo Square – Insta Emoji 2019
- Rain Photo Maker – Rain Effect Editor
- Recovery all photo deleted
- Repair System For Android & Speed Booster
- Ringtone maker – Mp3 cutter
- Ringtone Maker Ultimate: New Mp3 Cutter
- Scream Go – Eighth Note T-Rex
- Secret Lock
- Secure Gallery Vault: Photos, Videos Privacy Safe
- Security Pro
- Simple App Lock
- Smadav antivirus 2017
- Smadav antivirus for android 2018
- Smadav pro Total security
- Smart Cleaner-Battery Saver, Super Booster
- Sound Meter
- Speed Test Internet – Speed Check
- Speedtest net app
- Sudoku 2
- Sudoku Basic For Beginners 2019
- Super Antivirus Cleaner 2020
- Super Cleaner – Phone Cache Cleaner, RAM Booster
- Super Loud Alarm Clock
- Super Loud Volume Booster
- Super Phone Cleaner 2020
- Super Wifi Rounter – Who Is On My Wifi
- Super Wifi Rounter – Who Is On My Wifi
- TV Antivirus Free + Applock
- Ultra Cleaner 2018
- Unfollowers & Ghost Followers For Insta
- Video Music Cutter & Merge Studio
- Virus Cleaner – Antivirus 2018
- VPN Unlimited Proxy – Super VPN For Android
- Wifi File Transfer 2019
- Wifi Key – Free Master Wifi
- Wifi Speed Test
- WPS Tester
- WiFi Toolbox
- WPS WPA Wifi Test
- WPS Tester
- And few others with just package names
The White Ops Satori Threat Intelligence and Research Team says the apps‘ behaviour is controlled by a command-and-control JSON hosted on Dropbox and the URL of the JSON is different for each app. However, the structure is similar, hinting at the frequency of the ads and the Publisher ID to be used.
These apps carry extremely similar names and descriptions to various popular Android apps, services, tools, games and fool users into thinking they are the original ones, and deliver privacy, protection, and features like battery enhancement, call recording, advanced photo editing, and more. While this is not as bad as stealing money through phishing attacks, it can become annoying to deal with the persistent barrage of ads on your homescreen and notification panel. If you hate getting ads on your smartphone, we advise you to delete the apps immediately and suggest you download only legit apps instead of any clones.
