Meta has identified and listed hundreds of iOS and Android apps that threaten the cyber hygiene of approximately one million users. The company explained that these apps are designed to hoodwink users by appearing utilitarian when in reality, they have one purpose: to steal Facebook usernames and passwords.
In a blog post, David Agranovich, Meta’s director of threat disruption and Ryan Victory, malware discovery and detection engineer, said that the company identified 400 mobile applications that seem to have utility on the surface but are malicious to their core.
Approximately one million users are feared to have been compromised through these illicit apps that appear to have “fun or useful functionality.” These apps include photo editors, internet speed-boosting VPN services, high-graphics games, flashlight apps, lifestyle apps such as fitness trackers, and business utilities such as Facebook ad manager.