Apps On Microsoft Store Found To Contain Mining Malware

Microsoft Store

While the Microsoft Store isn’t exactly the retail hotbed I suspect Bill Gates hoped it would be, it did prove to be one of the companies biggest motivators for attempting to get us all to migrate to Windows 10. Admittedly, while I don’t use it much, there are a number of games and apps that can easily be accessed via it and, as such, it has its uses.

In a blog report via Symantec, however, a number of apps available on the site have been found to contain cryptocurrency mining malware.

Apps Named

In the report, the security research company has named at least 8 apps it found containing that they call ‘cryptojacking’ software.

• Fast-search Lite
• Battery Optimizer
• VPN Browsers+
• Downloader for YouTube Videos
• Clean Master+
• FastTube
• Findoo Browser 2019
• Findoo Mobile & Desktop

For those unaware of what this means, essentially if you run any of these apps on your PC, they are essentially using your hardware (without permission) to generate money.

The Not So Safe Store

In fairness, the Windows Store has largely avoided some of the criticism directed at other app providers such as those with Apple and Google. Specifically, for not harbouring malicious programs and, overall, having better software monitoring. This is, however, clearly a concern. If 8 have been discovered to have slipped through the net, it makes you wonder how many have yet to be detected.

The good news is that while Microsoft hasn’t seemingly acknowledged this report, they have (to my checking) removed the apps. If you do, however, have any of these installed, you might want to remove them sharpish!

What do you think? – Let us know in the comments!