It seems Google has got engaged with Facebook in the never-ending battle regarding not giving a damn about user’s privacy. Recently news came out that Facebook was secretly transcribing users’ messages. Then we heard that 8 million users have got affected by the Google Play Store adware.
And now there is more bad news coming up. One of the most popular scanning apps, CamScanner has been found with a Malware file integrated within it. Read on to know more.
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What is the Issue and How Were They Caught?
Cam Scanner is among the most popular file scanning app which has been downloaded well over 100 million times. But cyber-security researchers at Kaspersky recently did a complete scan of this app and found it to be injected with malware. But how did the team over at Kaspersky thought of scanning this particular app all of a sudden?
Well, recently a new feature was added to the Cam Scanner app. At the same time, users started noticing something weird was happening with their devices. While some complained that too many obstructive ads began popping up all of a sudden, others reported that they were automatically enrolled in the paid subscription! All this led users to give tons of negative reviews on the Play Store. This aroused suspicion in the minds of the Kaspersky team and they began their investigations.
Where it All Began?
For managing advertisements on its apps, most of the app developers give the majority of the ad’s control to some trusted third party vendors. These vendors are then responsible for the type of ads, frequency of ads and the placing of ads. Recently CamScanner had a partnership with one such third-party advertiser, who unfortunately came out to be unscrupulous. Along with adding a new feature, they also injected a Trojan-Dropper Module which dropped trojans, malware, and adware to all devices associated with this app.
Have Any Actions been taken by Google?
As soon as Kaspersky found out the Malware in the CamScanner app, they did detailed research. Then they submitted its report to Google, who removed the free version from Google Play Store at that instance only. Noticed the word free? Yes this is because the paid version (license key) is still available on the Play Store. The reason is simple: paid version doesn’t contain ads, hence there is no role of third party advertisers in it. Therefore they won’t be able to inject the Trojan Module.
What Does CamScanner Have to Say?
They just have said that the app containing the said malware has now been removed. Further, the app has been updated with security patches. So there is no cause of any concern as of now- as per their wordings.
Should I Download the App Now?
So now that the malware has been removed from the CamScanner App, could you download it? No. Until the app passes all the safety tests of Google, refrain from installing it. And if you already have installed it on your device- uninstall it right away! Wait till it gets released on the Play Store. Until then look for its alternative. Some of the recommended ones could be:
With all these incidents surrounding the CamScanner app, will you go back to it once it gets available on the Play Store? Or are you quite satisfied with the alternatives? Moreover which scanner app you are using right now? Share your views in the comments section below.
