Not all popular apps can guarantee you complete safety, and CamScanner has proven that. If you use an Android phone, then you’d want to steer clear of this app. CamScanner, a popular Android app used by millions of people, recently began serving up malware to unsuspecting users. The app has been around for nearly a decade and has accumulated well over 100 million downloads. The productivity app offers up OCR capabilities and can convert scanned documents into PDFs.

 

According to Kaspersky researchers, the malware may “show intrusive ads and sign users up for paid subscriptions.” The security researchers from Kaspersky first noticed something was amiss following app updates that rolled out in June and July of this year. However, the malware wasn’t found in versions of the app that users downloaded in August.

 

Once Google became aware of the issue, the company promptly removed the CamScanner app from the Google Play store. It didn’t matter that, with over 100 million installs, CamScanner is one of the most popular scanning apps on the Play Store. Regardless, if you previously downloaded the app, you’ll want to delete it immediately.

 

However, Android Police reported today the app is back up on the Play Store. The outlet also noted every app update since August 1 with version 5.12.0.20190730 has been clear of Trojan-Dropper.

 

 

As Kaspersky notes, the troubling aspect about this saga is that even seemingly reliable apps that have been safe to use for years can become problematic out of the blue.

 

Also read: Twitter says CEO Jack Dorsey account hacked after a series of offensive tweets

 

What we can learn from this story is that any app can turn into malware overnight. It doesn’t matter if it’s one from an official store, one which has a good reputation, or even one with millions of positive reviews and a big, loyal user base. Every app is just one update away from a major change.

 

Indeed, the problem reportedly began once CamScanner began using a third-party advertising module which contained a Trojan-Dropper. Trojan-Dropper is a software also discovered in some pre-installed apps on Chinese smartphones. In short, the security researchers found that the malware executed code from other malicious modules inconspicuously downloaded to user devices.

 

CamScanner also released a statement near the end of July insinuating the app was fine. It urged people to update their antivirus apps and download antivirus apps directly from the Play Store.

 

Meanwhile, Plat4om advises that you check third-party applications, especially those connected to your favourite social media apps.