CamScanner has released a new update for Android after recent reports of the app delivering malware to its many users. Google immediately deleted the app from the Play Store after learning about the issue.
Malware
Recently, researchers at security firm Kaspersky discovered that many users of the popular app CamScanner were experiencing some unwanted features. After analyzing CamScanner, researchers discovered that the app had actually been infected with a malware that could show intrusive advertisements to users.
They then immediately notified Google of the issue, and the app was immediately removed from the Play Store. Now, attempts to search for the app on the store will yield a “Not Found” response.
Third-Party Advertising Company
In a statement, CamScanner noted that they have removed the advertisement SDK, and pointed to a third-party advertisement company as the source of the malicious module that caused a problem.
“Injection of any suspicious codes violates the CamScanner Security Policy! We will take immediate legal actions against Adhub! Fortunately, after rounds of security check, we have not found any evidence showing the module could cause any leak of document data,” CamScanner said.
So far, CamScanner has not yet returned to the Play Store, but an updated version of the app can be downloaded directly from their website. The iOS version of the app was not affected by the malware, so it can still be downloaded from the App Store.
Cybercrime
Detection of the malware from negative comments about the app was actually quite significant because according to Kapersky, CamScanner has been installed over 100 million times, meaning that over 100 million people could have been affected.
While having intrusive ads do not seem like much of a problem and are simply annoying for the most part, cybercriminals actually make money for pushing those invasive ads, and can even cost companies substantial financial losses.
