Cybersecurity firm discovers 17 Android apps that secretly flood users' phones with pop-up ads

Cybersecurity firm Bitdefender has discovered a group of 17 apps on the Google Play store that will randomly run ads on a user’s phone, even when the apps are closed, the Daily Mail reports.

The apps include a barcode scanner, a car racing game, a weather app, an ovulation cycle tracker, several 4K wallpaper apps, and a QR code scanner.

Though it appears the apps come from different developers, they have similar effects on a users phone.

After each is downloaded, they’re designed to operate normally for several hours to avoid detection, then they split their core files into multiple directories to further evade malware detection tools.

After this initial period, the apps will begin to download or stream popup advertisements using the phone’s data and draining its battery life.

The apps don't need to be open for the ad pop-ups to appear, and they’re coded to appear at random times to make it hard for users to anticipate.

Many of the apps are also designed to actually remove their icons from the phone once the ad streaming begins, making it even more challenging to track down the source.