By Chris Skeldon 
There are two apps that were until recently available on the Google Play Store. With over 1.5 million installs between them, the apps are likely still on your Android smartphone (or tablet) but it’s time to delete them!
Despite all the security filters and verification mechanisms put in place in the Google Play Store to make our installs more secure, the system is not infallible. In fact, it is still quite common to find it malware in certain apps on the Google Play Store.
It should also be noted that the Google Play Store itself also checks your Android tablet or smartphone to ensure that all installed apps are free of threats. Even those we may have installed from third parties outside the Play Store via sideload. But then again, even this extended security system is not without flaws.
Delete these two Android apps with 1.5 million installs
Alerted by the security service Bradyas well as the publication Computer That gave greater expression to this alert, and published it. Two apps have been installed through the Google Play Store over 1.5 million times.
However, Google has already removed the respective apps, the Apps File recovery & data recovery that it files manager from the Play Store. However, we now advise our readers to do the same from their mobile devices, ensuring that both apps are removed permanently.
This is because, according to the security agency, the apps hide some secret orders that end up violating Europe’s data protection regulations, the General Data Protection Regulation. In practice, sending multiple IDs, multiple metrics, and various data to servers in China.
Sensitive information was sent to servers in China
The source in question specified several types of information that are collected and sent to servers in China, namely:
- User contacts from the phone book of the device itself, as well as all accounts registered on the mobile device, from e-mail (e-mail) to social networks
- Multimedia content found and processed by the application: from images, audio, as well as video
- User location in real time
- Country identification code
- mobile service provider (carrier)
- Information about the SIM card associated with the smartphone or tablet
- Operating system and version number
In short, these are the apps you should remove, along with their actual threats:
- File recovery and data recovery – com.spot.music.filedate – Over 1 million installs
- files manager – com.file.box.master.gkd – Over 500k installs
The apps have already been removed from the Google Play Store
Due to the information content that is not announced to the Google Play Store, both apps fall under the spyware category and should be considered as a strong threat to our privacy. While reasonably achieving their original intent, both apps concealed illegal and harmful behavior.
Finally, both apps belong to the same developer, basically masquerading as file managers and deleted file recovery software.
The scheme has now been exposed, and is mainly intended to collect data and send it to China without the user noticing.
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