Google Will Soon Scan Sideloaded Android Apps for Malicious Code

Android's Play Store has a reputation for hosting "dangerous and malicious" apps that's somewhat undeserved. The real danger comes from sideloading apps, which bypass the Play Store's protections, so Google is rolling out expanded capabilities to help spot when an app you're sideloading is actually malicious before you finish installing it.

The Play Store, for the most part, is a pretty safe place to get your Android apps. Google does a good job of weeding out malicious actors, even if a few slip through now and then (just like Apple's App Store). But Android has a potential vulnerability you won't currently find on iPhones: sideloading. You can bypass the Play Store and get your apps from other sources, whether that be Amazon's Appstore or a direct download.

Malicious actors have taken notice, and now malware more commonly spreads through sideloading, particularly through messaging apps. In the past, when you sideloaded an app, your Android app would check it against a list of known malicious apps and warn you if it found a match. But that was the extent of the protection you'd get when bypassing the Play Store.

Now, starting in India, Google is taking things a step further. When users sideload an app, Android will perform "real-time scanning at the code-level" of the app before the installation completes, looking for any potential issues. It'll start with the usual process of checking against a list of known malicious apps, but if it finds this is an app that has yet to be scanned, it'll offer to perform a test for you. It's up to you to start the scan.

When the scan completes, it'll let you know if it seems like the app is safe to install or if it found any potential issues and what they are. You can abort the installation at that point for safety. Google says this new feature will roll out to various countries over the coming months.

:story: PC Magazine