Apps from a Chinese e-commerce company flagged as malware

Google has alerted numerous users regarding several apps from a Chinese e-commerce company. The notification was due to Google’s decision to flag the apps as malware.

Multiple Chinese security researchers have blamed the recent flagging of Google apps on a growing e-commerce firm with 800 million active users. Based on reports, the company has created numerous Android applications containing malware that could monitor infected users.

A Google representative explained that the off-Play versions of the app identified as malware had been coerced by their team through Google Play Protect. Thus, the malicious applications are not on Google Play.

 

Google protects its Android users from installing apps from the Chinese e-commerce giant by putting a reliable security protocol.

 

According to investigations, Google has established Google Play Protect as its Android security mechanism to prevent users from installing malicious apps from the Chinese e-commerce company.

Google also warned users who have installed the apps to uninstall them to protect themselves from constant monitoring from the developers.

A Google spokesperson clarified that their company had suspended the Chinese company’s official app on the Play Store for security purposes. The suspension will last until the company has concluded the investigation.

A separate researcher also claimed that the apps from the Chinese company showed that it could exploit numerous zero-day exploits to infiltrate an infected system and add more cybercriminal operations.

A representative from the Chinese e-commerce company explained that they rejected the claims and allegations of the researcher and the non-conclusive response from Google. Furthermore, Google has also suspended several applications at the same time as the suspension of the Chinese company’s apps.

Some researchers tried to install the alleged malicious application. Before the initial download, the device immediately alerted the researcher that the app could be malicious.

Cybersecurity experts claimed that the alleged malicious apps could still be accessible to users since Google Play is unavailable in China. Therefore, Android phones such as Oppo, Huawei, Xiaomi, and Samsung could still download the suspected apps.