Android Users, Delete CamScanner Immediately

Google Play Store has deleted CamScanner, a PDF converter app, after it was found to come with an advertising malware. Kaspersky researchers discovered that the latest versions of the CamScanner app for Android distributed with a malicious Trojan-Dropper module that had the potential to show unpleasant ads and signed users up for paid subscriptions.

Google removed the CamScanner app from the Google Play Store when Kaspersky reported about the malware. The report adds that the app developers have now removed the malicious code with the latest update. But the versions may vary for different devices, and some may still contain the malware. CamScanner had more than 100 million downloads before it was removed.

Researchers at Kaspersky said that the shared CamScanner app was a clean, legitimate app. The app displayed ads for monetisation and also permitted in-app purchases. But, with recent versions of CamScanner, the app had an advertising library that contained a malicious module.

This module, known as Trojan-Dropper.AndroidOS.Necro.n has been earlier discovered in some preinstalled apps on Chinese smartphones. Kaspersky warned that the module could extract and run another malicious module from an encrypted file that's included in the app's resources. We can make out from the name; the dropped malware is a Trojan-Downloader that downloads more malicious modules.

You may find the CamScanner app on the Play Store, but some older and stale versions of the app such as CamScanner HD and CamScanner (License) can still be found, and we advise you not to download them. If you already have CamScanner downloaded on your Android device, delete it until a fixed version gets listed on the Play Store. Meanwhile, it looks like the CamScanner app for iOS is malware-free and is also available for download in the App Store.