While we often find malware in Android apps, we have news that there are apps found in the Mac App store where malware has now been discovered.
Security expert Alex Kleber uncovered 7 apps made to look like they originate from different developers, but it turns out they lead back to one company in communist China.
Delete these apps now
If you have the following apps on your apple devices, remove them now (here’s a refresher on how to remove apps from your devices):
- PDF Reader for Adobe PDF Files – by Sunnet Technology Inc
- Word Writer Pro – by Netozo Limited
- Screen Recorder – by Safeharbor Technology L Ltd.
- Webcam Expert – by Wildfire Technology Inc
- Streaming Browser Video Player – by Boulevard Technology Ltd.
- PDF Editor for Adobe Files – by Polarnet Limited
- PDF Reader – by Xu Lu, in association with Sunnet Technology Inc.
While Apple has taken corrective steps to remove these dangerous apps from the Apple App store, they may still be on your iPhone and iPad. Take a moment to look through your apps to weed out these malware-infected apps. You can stroke downward from the middle of your iPhone screen to reveal a search field. Type in each of these names above. If you discover any of them, remove them immediately.
How to protect yourself
- Always keep your iOS or Android software up to date.
- Keep your browsers updated.
- If you have one of these apps installed, uninstall them immediately and then remove any malware that may be on your phone using an antivirus app. My top pick is TotalAV (Limited time deal: $19 your first year (80% off). More: Best Antivirus Protection in 2022 found here.
- When downloading an app, always check the number of ratings (avoid apps with little to no ratings), quality of the written comments, (A telltale sign of suspicious apps often have poor grammar). And if the developer has a legit website.
- By far the smartest protection is to install good security protection on all of your devices for the best protection. My top pick is TotalAV (Limited time deal: $19 your first year (80% off). More: Best Antivirus Protection in 2022 found here.
Related:
- What to do when your phone storage is full
- Update Chrome Browser now to prevent hackers from wreaking havoc
- Microsoft phishing scam: Don’t click that email
- Hackers are hijacking bank accounts through this phone attack
4 comments
I have PDF expert by Readdle, should this be removed. I’ve had it for a number of years
Hi Judy, as of now, there have been no reports of malware associated with the “PDF Expert” by Readdle. You’ll note that many of these apps have similar names which can get confusing as to which ones you can trust. The important item to look for when looking at the list of apps with malware in this article is the company that created the app.