Everything changed in December when the developers released another update.
Digital security experts at Malwarebytes have discovered that a popular Android app called Barcode Scanner has turned into malware that opens its own browser and displays intrusive ads.
Popular Android app with 10 million installs turned into malware
The barcode scanner application developer is Lavabird Ltd., which has successfully distributed it through the official Google digital content store for several years. The app has gained a good reputation over the years, with over 10 million downloads and installations.
The app was even part of the Google Play Pass program, allowing Android users to pay $ 4.99 per month or $ 29.99 per year to install unlimited apps at no additional cost. The subscriber and up to five group/family members could use the Barcode Scanner simultaneously.
Everything changed in December, after the release of the next update. As a result, the application began to advertise programs for cleaning Android smartphones from unnecessary files and extending the operating time without recharging. Yes, this software really cleaned the files left after removing other applications, but at the same time, users confirmed that the smartphone began to display advertising content too often.
It’s worth noting that there are many alternatives on Google Play, and you can use the Google Lens app to scan barcodes, which are available on a large number of smartphones.
