A number of malicious apps have been downloaded by Android users allowing the malware inside them to wreak havoc with as many as 1.3 million Google accounts. The malware collects data from the phone it has infected, and inserts a rootkit. Once the phone is rooted, email accounts are stolen and code is inserted into the phone's apps forcing more malicious apps to be installed.
The hackers are given access to a user's Google Photos, Google Play, Google Docs and Gmail accounts. Those with a newer Google model (Marshmallow, Nougat) are lucky enough to have missed this terror. Those vulnerable have the Android Jelly Bean, KitKat and Lollipop builds loaded on their phone. Of the 1.3 million Google accounts estimated to be affected, 57% are located in Asia, 19% are in the Americas, 15% in Africa and 9% are in Europe.
You can check to see if your Android phone has been compromised by clicking on the sourcelink and typing in your email address. For its part, Google has been removing the malicious apps from the Google Play Store. 13,000 Google accounts are said to be getting affected daily. If your phone is affected, you will have to have Android re-flashed on the unit and all of your passwords must be changed.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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