Popular CamScanner app for Android is infected with malware

A team of scientists from security firm Kaspersky have discovered malware embedded in an Android application that is useful, popular, and widely downloaded from Google's online store . This is CamScanner, a service that takes photos of documents and creates a PDF document with them, mimicking the operation of a traditional scanner.

The problem is the presence of a threat called Trojan-Dropper.AndroidOS.Necro.n, which was often found preinstalled on Chinese smartphones. It masquerades as banner ads and other forms of advertising, downloading various content packs to your device without the user's permission - which are usually more entryways.

At worst, criminals may be able to remotely control your device and steal personal information, as well as enroll you in subscription services without any permission.

And now?

In short, CamScanner is not a virus in itself: the scanner app itself is harmless and the paid version, which eliminates any advertising, poses no danger to your device. The problem is that the ad library built into the free alternative is beyond the control of the developer and Google itself, which can happen with any software in the online store. Companies, however, have their share of the blame for allowing such threats to enter their code.

Developer INTSIG has apparently released an update that revamped the ad library and eliminated malware, but caution is little with CamScanner for Android from now on. On Google Play, the download for anyone who has never installed it appears as "unsupported", which should mean an indefinite suspension. Some user reviews indicate that some mobile antivirus have even notified malicious code in advance.