Android users urged to delete hundreds of apps immediately in cyber attack warning

Cybercriminals are once again targeting Android devices in a bid to trick unsuspecting users into handing over their personal and financial information.

In this latest wave of attacks, users are being advised to delete infected apps immediately. Hackers are attempting to boost their profits through an advanced form of advertising fraud. By embedding malicious ads into apps, hackers can slow down infected devices while profiting financially. The Satori Threat Intelligence and Research Team identified this new threat, dubbed SlopAds.

Researchers found that 224 Android apps were compromised by this attack, having been downloaded more than 38 million times via the Google Play Store. It comes after the TSA warned one specific smartphone is now banned on ALL flights .

Security specialists from the team stated: "HUMAN's Satori Threat Intelligence and Research Team has uncovered and disrupted a sophisticated ad fraud and click fraud operation dubbed SlopAds."

"The threat actors behind SlopAds operate a collection of 224 apps and growing, collectively downloaded from Google Play more than 38 million times across 228 countries and territories.

"These apps deliver their fraud payload using steganography and create hidden WebViews to navigate to threat actor-owned cashout sites, generating fraudulent ad impressions and clicks. The threat actors' infrastructure and many of the apps an AI theme, contributing to the name of the operation."

Google has successfully removed all the offending apps, ensuring no new users will fall victim to ad fraud.

If you're concerned that you've installed one of the apps infected with the SlopAds bug, don't worry. The security team assures that all affected users will receive a warning and be prompted to uninstall the problematic apps.

To safeguard against future attacks, Android users are strongly encouraged to activate Google's Play Protect feature in the app store.

This tool alerts users potentially corrupted apps before they install them, and also blocks any future apps exhibiting behavior associated with SlopAds.

Ad fraud doesn't just harm device users, but also reputable advertisers and developers, as hackers deceive the network into accepting their infested ads.

Google clarifies: "Ad interactions generated for the purpose of tricking an ad network into believing traffic is from authentic user interest is ad fraud, which is a form of invalid traffic.

"Ad fraud may be the byproduct of developers implementing ads in disallowed ways, such as showing hidden ads, automatically clicking ads, altering or modifying information, and otherwise leveraging non-human actions (spiders, bots, etc.) or human activity designed to produce invalid ad traffic.

"Invalid traffic and ad fraud is harmful to advertisers, developers, and users, and leads to long-term loss of trust in the mobile Ads ecosystem."

If Android users get a warning to remove an infected app, they should heed the advice immediately to safeguard their device.

For the latest local news and features on Irish America, visit our homepage here .