Google pulls apps showing pornographic adverts to children
One advertisement attempted to get users - some as young as four years old - to download "leaked" images of Kim Kardashian.
Monday 15 January 2018 18:22, UK
Google has pulled 60 apps from its Play Store which attempted to show pornographic advertisements to children.
The apps were infected with malicious code called "AdultSwine" which as well as displaying inappropriate ads, attempted to trick users into installing fake security apps and register for expensive services.
The apps were detected on the Google Play Store by security researchers at Check Point, who said the malware had been downloaded by unsuspecting victims between three and seven million times.
Google said it had removed the malicious apps and shut down the accounts of the developers behind them.
The apps generated advertising revenues for its developers by displaying inappropriate ads to the children they were aimed at.
::: Dozens of fake security apps on Google Play Store
One of the "milder" examples of content shown to children encouraged them to download "leaked" images of Kim Kardashian, said Check Point.
Parents reviewing the apps on the Play Store warned that they had installed it for their children, some as young as four, only for pornographic images to be displayed.
The apps also told users that their devices were infected by a virus and showed users a "remove virus now" button which would redirect them to another malware app in the Play Store, posing as security tool.
The most popular app that had been infected was called "Five Nights Survival Craft" and may have been downloaded up to five million times.
A Google spokesperson told Sky News: "We've removed the apps from Play, disabled the developers' accounts, and will continue to show strong warnings to anyone that has installed them.
"We appreciate Check Point's work to help keep users safe."