Security experts from Lookout company have found over 500 apps in the Google Play store that allow the installation of harmful spyware. The total number of downloaded apps exceeds 100 million. Infected

Lookout experts do not provide a complete list of infected applications. However, they do confirm that the infection was found in various types of apps, such as: Internet radios, photo editors, weather applications, or emoji kits.

All the infected apps have one thing income, namely they all contained the malicious software developer kit (SDK) called IGEXIN. Once an app using a malicious version of IGEXIN is installed on a phone, the developer kit can update the app to include spyware at any time, with no warning.

The IGEXIN was developed by a Chinese company and is used by app developers to connect to mobile ad networks in order to deliver ads and generate revenue. Like many ad networks. Like all SDK services, IGEXIN promotes its targeted advertising services that leverage data collected about people such as their interests, occupation, income, and location.

Google removed the impacted apps and replaced them with updated versions without spyware.