Lookout, a California based IT security company has revealed that more than 238 apps on Google Play Store are being bombarded by BeitaAd malware. Furthermore, the research revealed that the specified malware is actually adware which affects the smartphones with advertisements making them unusable.
Researchers from Lookout have revealed that their study has found that the infected apps have a download count of more than 440 million and BeiTaAd is a kind of advertising plugin which has infected almost all prominent health and fitness apps including the famous keyboard app named ‘TouchPal’.
Technically speaking, BeiTaAd is adware which displays ads on a users lock screen triggering video and audio advertisements while the phone is not in use.
What’s interesting in this whole story is that the said adware is seen infecting only Shanghai-based apps released by Chinese vendor CooTek. The other interesting point of this adware is that it gets activated only after 7-14 days of infection after which it makes difficult for users to even receive and make calls via messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Google has already taken action on this mobile security alert by removing most of the apps or removing their code of BeiTaAd plugin.
Note- From the beginning of this year, Google has faced a lot of issues related to adware on its Play store. It has also removed more than 246 apps from Play Store for committing ad fraud till date and has announced officially that it will never entertain any discrepancies in its ad campaigns.
