Play Store virus: three dangerous apps removed by Google, here’s which ones

It is learned that viruses have been introduced to the Play Store that risk infecting millions of smartphones and tablets worldwide.
The incriminating applications, in fact, have been downloaded by a great many users, making them all potential targets for those who created the malware.
Despite the security checks that are always carried out by Google Play staff technicians before new apps are added to the store, these three software programs managed to pass all checks, thus being deemed acceptable.
However, it was the technicians from the security software company Avast who identified the serious vulnerabilities of three applications, which, subsequently and evidently following a report, were therefore removed from the Play Store.
The malevolent operation was quite insidious and not immediately identifiable, as the code activated even three to four weeks after installation.
The first step was the display of omnipresent advertising banners, among which a banner related to the possibility of speeding up one’s slow smartphone or tablet often stood out.
By clicking on this specific banner, the malware came to life, proceeding to steal all personal data and any codes present on one’s device.
Another facet of the same malware was the automatic subscription to a whole series of paid services.
So what are the apps with malicious code?

Apparently, the first app is “Durak”: it is a card game that, until it was removed from the Play Store platform, had been downloaded by over 10 million users.
The second app was related to a Russian-language test to check one’s intelligence quotient, downloaded by about 5 million people.
Finally, the third app focused on Soviet history and was less successful than the previous two: about 50,000 downloads.
Google therefore acted promptly by blocking the aforementioned apps, but, in general, it is always advisable to use a good antivirus for smartphones and tablets as well.