"Android Minecraft Clones With 35M Downloads Infect Users With Adware"

A collection of 38 Minecraft clones on Google Play infected devices with the Android adware HiddenAds in order to secretly load advertisements in the background to generate revenue for the operators. Numerous game publishers have attempted to replicate the success of Minecraft, a sandbox game with 140 million monthly active users. About 35 million Android users downloaded games resembling Minecraft that hid the adware, primarily from the US, Canada, South Korea, and Brazil. These users did not notice the adware activity taking place in the background because they were able to play the games as advertised. Additionally, any potential overheating, increased network data usage, or battery consumption caused by loading advertisements may be attributed to the game. The adware set was discovered by McAfee's Mobile Research Team, which was formed to defend Google Play against all forms of threats. All of the apps have been removed from the store following their reporting. This article continues to discuss Minecraft copycat games on Google Play infecting devices with the Android adware HiddenAds. 

Bleeping Computer reports "Android Minecraft Clones With 35M Downloads Infect Users With Adware"