According to the research made by the ESET researchers, they found 42 apps containing adware in Google’s Google Play store. Some of the apps were released in the summer of 2018 and have been downloaded more than 8 million times. Apps show full-screen ads to users randomly and often delete their shortcut icons, which makes it harder to notice and to remove.
Adware apps can also act like a Facebook or Google app to stay undetected. Apps are also sending some data about the device. If the device allows the apps from non-app store sources to be installed, adware apps can install more malicious software to the device.
Some of those apps were Video Downloader Master, which had more than five millions download, Ringtone Maker Pro, SaveInsta, and Tank Classic, each had over 500,000 downloads. Google announced that all the infected apps removed from the Google Store but they may be available in third-party app stores. According to ESET researchers, a Vietnamese college student may be behind this adware situation.