Google removes fake “System Update” app from Play Store.

         A malware, disguised as “System Update”, managed to exist on the Google Play Store for around three years since it was last updated in 2014. It might have lived for some more time if a security firm Zscaler didn’t contact Google regarding the existence of the app, hiding a spyware called SMSVova.

 It also can look at certain incoming SMS messages. The security firm says that if a user installed and tried to use the app, it would appear to quit working and show the message, “Unfortunately, Update Service has stopped.” In fact, there is evidence the app would continue to work in the background.

The firm alerted Google to this fake app, and the company has since removed it from the Play Store, but not before the listing’s page indicated it had been downloaded between 1 million and 5 million times. It goes without saying that all Android device owners should be careful when downloading any app from the Play Store. In this case, there were clues that “System Update” was a fake. There were no screenshots posted in its Play Store listing, and there was no proper description of the app. Finally, written reviews in the listing were highly negative, as many users stated the app didn’t work.