Technology

Android malware hidden in fake antivirus app

Published

2 months ago

February 14, 2026

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Android malware hidden in fake antivirus app

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If you use an Android phone, this deserves your attention.

Cybersecurity researchers warn that hackers are using Hugging Face, a popular platform for sharing artificial intelligence (AI) tools, to spread dangerous Android malware.

At first, the threat appears harmless because it is disguised as a fake antivirus app. Then, once you install it, criminals gain direct access to your device. Because of this, the threat stands out as especially troubling. It combines two things people already trust — security apps and AI platforms.

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MALICIOUS GOOGLE CHROME EXTENSIONS HIJACK ACCOUNTS

Researchers say hackers hid Android malware inside a fake antivirus app that looked legitimate at first glance. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

What Hugging Face is and why it matters

For anyone unfamiliar, Hugging Face is an open platform where developers share AI, NLP and machine learning models. It is widely used by researchers and startups and has become a central hub for AI experimentation. That openness is also what attackers exploited. Because Hugging Face allows public repositories and supports many file types, criminals were able to host malicious code in plain sight.

The fake antivirus app behind the attack

The malware first appeared in an Android app called TrustBastion. On the surface, it looks like a helpful security tool. It promises virus protection, phishing defense and malware blocking. In reality, it does the opposite.

Once installed, TrustBastion immediately claims your phone is infected. It then pressures you to install an update. That update delivers the malicious code. This tactic is known as scareware. It relies on panic and urgency to push users into tapping before thinking.

FAKE ERROR POPUPS ARE SPREADING MALWARE FAST

The fake TrustBastion app mimics a legitimate Google Play update screen to trick users into installing malware. (Bitdefender)

How the malware spreads and adapts

According to Bitdefender, a global cybersecurity company, the campaign centers on a fake Android security app called TrustBastion. Victims were likely shown ads or warnings claiming their device was infected and were instructed to manually install the app.

The attackers hosted TrustBastion’s APK files directly on Hugging Face, placing them inside public datasets that appeared legitimate at first glance. Once installed, the app immediately prompted users to install a required “update,” which delivered the actual malware.

After researchers reported the malicious repository, it was taken down. However, Bitdefender observed that nearly identical repositories quickly reappeared, with small cosmetic changes but the same malicious behavior. That rapid re-creation made the campaign harder to fully shut down.

What this Android malware can actually do

This Trojan is not minor or annoying. It is invasive. Bitdefender says the malware can:

Take screenshots of your device

Show fake login screens for financial services

Capture your lock screen PIN

Once collected, that data is sent to a third-party server. From there, attackers can move quickly to drain accounts or lock you out of your own phone.

What Google says about the threat

Google says users who stick to official app stores are protected. A Google spokesperson told CyberGuy, “Based on our current detection, no apps containing this malware are found on Google Play.

“Android users are automatically protected against known versions of this malware by Google Play Protect, which is on by default on Android devices with Google Play Services.

“Google Play Protect can warn users or block apps known to exhibit malicious behavior, even when those apps come from sources outside of Play.”

BROWSER EXTENSION MALWARE INFECTED 8.8M USERS IN DARKSPECTRE ATTACK

Once installed, the malware could capture screenshots, fake login details and even your lock screen PIN. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

How to stay safe from Hugging Face Android malware

This threat is a reminder that small choices matter. Here is what you should do right now:

1) Stick to trusted app stores

Only download apps from reputable sources like Google Play Store or the Samsung Galaxy Store. These platforms have moderation and scanning in place.

2) Read reviews before installing

Look closely at ratings, download counts and recent comments. Fake security apps often have vague reviews or sudden rating spikes.

3) Use a data removal service

Even careful users can have personal data exposed. A data removal service helps remove your phone number, email and other details from data broker sites that criminals rely on. That reduces follow-up scams, fake security alerts and account takeover attempts.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy.

These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com

4) Run Play Protect and use strong antivirus software

Scan your device regularly with Play Protect and back it up with strong antivirus software for added protection. Google Play Protect, which is built-in malware protection for Android devices, automatically removes known malware. However, it is important to note that Google Play Protect may not be enough. Historically, it hasn’t been 100% effective at removing all known malware from Android devices.

The best way to protect yourself against malicious links that install malware and potentially access your private information is to have strong antivirus software installed on all your devices. This protection can also help you detect phishing emails and ransomware, keeping your personal information and digital assets safe.

Get my picks for the best 2026 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android and iOS devices at Cyberguy.com

5) Avoid sideloading APK files

Avoid installing apps from websites outside the app store. These apps bypass security checks, so always verify the publisher name and URL.

6) Lock down your Google account

Your phone security depends on it. Enable two-step verification (2FA) first, then use a strong, unique password stored in a password manager to prevent account takeovers.

Next, see if your email has been exposed in past breaches. Our No. 1 password manager (see Cyberguy.com) pick includes a built-in breach scanner that checks whether your email address or passwords have appeared in known leaks. If you discover a match, immediately change any reused passwords and secure those accounts with new, unique credentials.

Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com

7) Be cautious with permissions

Be cautious with accessibility permissions. Malware often abuses them to take control of your device.

8) Watch app updates closely

Malware can hide inside fake updates. Be cautious of urgent fixes that push you outside the app store.

Kurt’s key takeaways

This attack shows how quickly trust can be weaponized. A platform designed to advance AI research was repurposed as a delivery system for malware. A fake antivirus app became the threat it claimed to stop. Staying safe no longer means avoiding sketchy-looking apps. It means questioning even those apps that appear helpful and professional.

Have you seen something on your phone that made you question its security? Let us know your thoughts by writing to us at Cyberguy.com

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Related Topics:Android cybercrime Featured Google Security

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Technology

Buy two Nintendo Switch games, get $30 off at Target

Published

7 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Press Room

Buy two Nintendo Switch games, get off at Target

Target is offering a great deal to some Target Circle members that knocks $30 off the cost of two Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 games. The sale is happening for the rest of the day, expiring at 2:59AM ET on April 5th. If you sign in with the free-to-join membership, you might be able to add two eligible games to your cart, then watch the prices fall at checkout.

There are 224 eligible games (some physical, some digital), and many of Nintendo’s biggest hits from the past year and beyond are here, including Switch 2-exclusive games like Donkey Kong Bananza, Kirby Air Riders, Mario Kart World, Mario Tennis Fever, and more (I didn’t see Pokémon Pokopia in the list, though).

This deal is worth hopping on whether you intend to gift these games, or just get them for yourself. Discounts on Nintendo-published games are rare, and it’s quite a nice perk that Target Circle members have in getting to choose the games they want to save on.

While each of the games that I mentioned ship on cartridges that don’t require a bunch of your console’s internal storage (just enough for save data), there are some Switch 2 games that ship on Game Key Cards. Those cartridges, once inserted into the console, simply grant you the ability to download a copy from the Nintendo eShop onto your console. Game sizes varies, but you may want to pick up a microSD Express card to add more storage on top of the Switch 2’s 256GB built-in SSD. This 256GB Samsung model is $59 at Amazon.

Technology

How to opt out of AI data collection in popular apps

Published

7 hours ago

April 5, 2026

Press Room

How to opt out of AI data collection in popular apps

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Every time you ask ChatGPT a question, say “Hey Siri” or let Google finish your sentence, something else may happen in the background. In many cases, you are helping train the AI that responds to you.

Most people do not realize this. However, many AI platforms use conversations to improve their systems. As a result, your questions, your voice and your habits can be stored and reused by some of the world’s largest tech companies.

That said, you are not stuck with these settings. You can turn off much of this data collection if you know where to look. Even better, it only takes about 15 minutes across the major platforms. Here is exactly how.

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5 SIMPLE TECH TIPS TO TAKE BACK CONTROL OF YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA

What AI apps are quietly collecting about you

AI assistants are designed to feel like a private conversation. But, depending on the platform, what’s collected often goes well beyond what you typed or said:

Full conversation transcripts
Voice recordings and audio clips
Location data and device identifiers
Browsing habits and search history
Names, routines and personal details you mention in passing
App usage patterns across your devices.

Almost none of this is turned off by default. You have to go find the switch yourself.

Think about what you’ve actually shared lately

Here’s a quick thought experiment. In the last month, have you asked an AI assistant about:

A health symptom you were worried about?
A financial decision you were weighing?
A family situation you needed advice on?
Your child’s schedule, school or activities?

Each detail seems harmless on its own. But, together, they create a surprisingly detailed picture of your life, one that could be stored indefinitely, reviewed by human contractors or exposed in a data breach.

In 2023, Samsung engineers accidentally leaked sensitive internal code by pasting it into ChatGPT. Most people don’t have an IT department watching out for them. But everyone can take a few minutes to adjust their settings.

How to opt out platform by platform

This doesn’t mean you should stop using AI tools. They can be incredibly useful. But it’s worth understanding what’s being collected and what you can turn off right now.

1) ChatGPT (OpenAI)

By default, your conversations may be used to help improve AI models, but you can turn this off at any time.

To turn this off:

Open ChatGPT
Tap or click your profile icon
Select Settings
Go to Data Controls
Toggle off “Improve the model for everyone”

You can also go to Settings > Data Controls > Export data to download everything OpenAI has stored, or select Delete all chats to wipe your history. Note that even with training off, OpenAI retains conversations for up to 30 days for safety monitoring.

Turning off “Improve the model for everyone” stops your ChatGPT conversations from being used for training. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

2) Google (Gemini & AI features)

Google’s AI tools, including Gemini and Search’s AI Overviews, are tied to your Google account activity.

To manage this:

Go to myactivity.google.com
Select Web & App Activity and turn it off, or set auto-delete to three months
Separately, visit gemini.google.com > Settings > Gemini Apps Activity and toggle it off

Keep in mind that disabling activity tracking may affect personalization across Gmail, Maps and other Google services.

DATA BROKERS ACCUSED OF HIDING OPT-OUT PAGES FROM GOOGLE

Google’s Gemini activity settings show how your AI interactions may still be stored unless you delete them. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

3) Microsoft Copilot

Copilot is built into Windows, Microsoft 365 and Edge, so it can access a wide range of your documents and activity.

To adjust your settings:

Go to account.microsoft.com/privacy and sign in
Click Privacy in the left-hand menu
Scroll to App and service activity and review your recent activity
Click Clear all activities or remove individual items
Scroll down to App and service performance data, and clear that data if available
Scroll further and select Copilot, then tap Manage data from Microsoft Copilot to review or delete your data

In Windows 11: Settings > Privacy & Security > Diagnostics & Feedback and turn off Optional diagnostic data

Microsoft does not offer one single switch that turns off all Copilot data collection, so you need to review settings in multiple places. Enterprise users should check with an IT administrator since organizational settings may also apply.

Microsoft’s privacy dashboard lets you review and clear app and service activity tied to your account. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

4) Amazon Alexa

Alexa stores voice recordings by default, and, in some cases, Amazon may have human reviewers listen to those recordings as part of its quality review process.

To turn off voice recording use:

Open the Alexa app
Tap More (upper left, three lines)
Tap Alexa Privacy
Scroll down and select Manage Your Alexa Data
Tap Help Improve Alexa and turn off Use Voice Recordings
Confirm your decision by tapping Turn off

To stop Alexa from keeping your recordings:

Open the Alexa app
Tap More (upper left, three lines)
Tap Alexa Privacy
Scroll down and select Manage Your Alexa Data
Tap Voice Recordings and Transcripts
Select Don’t retain

In the Alexa app, turning off voice recording use prevents Amazon from using your recordings to improve services. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

5) Apple Siri

Apple is generally more privacy-focused than other platforms, but Siri still collects data to improve its performance.

To limit Siri data collection:

Go to Settings
Tap Privacy & Security
Tap Analytics & Improvements
Turn off Share iPhone & Apple Watch Analytics
Scroll down and turn off Improve Siri & Dictation

To delete your existing Siri history:

Go to Settings, Tap Siri or Apple Intelligence & Siri Tap Siri & Dictation History Tap Delete Siri & Dictation History

Disabling analytics on iPhone limits how Apple collects data to improve Siri and other features. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

Why AI privacy settings are only part of the solution

Adjusting these settings is an important step. But it only controls what these apps collect directly going forward. It doesn’t address the hundreds of websites that may already be publishing your personal information online, right now, without your knowledge.

Data brokers are still collecting your information

Data brokers do not need your AI chat history. Instead, they pull information from public records, marketing lists and people search databases. They also refresh these profiles constantly, which keeps your data active and easy to find.

As a result, your name, address, phone number and family members may already appear on dozens of sites you have never heard of. Unlike AI apps, these sites do not offer a single settings menu to turn this off.

While you can remove your data manually, the process takes hours and often requires repeated requests when your information gets reposted. In many cases, you need to revisit these sites regularly to keep your information from reappearing.

The goal is simple: make it much harder for strangers, scammers and cybercriminals to find your personal information online.

While no service can guarantee the complete removal of your data from the internet, a data removal service is really a smart choice. They aren’t cheap, and neither is your privacy. These services do all the work for you by actively monitoring and systematically erasing your personal information from hundreds of websites. It’s what gives me peace of mind and has proven to be the most effective way to erase your personal data from the internet. By limiting the information available, you reduce the risk of scammers cross-referencing data from breaches with information they might find on the dark web, making it harder for them to target you.

Check out my top picks for data removal services and get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web by visiting Cyberguy.com

Get a free scan to find out if your personal information is already out on the web: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s Key Takeaways

Spending just 15 minutes adjusting your AI privacy settings is one of the most effective steps you can take to protect your digital privacy right now. Most major platforms, including OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple, collect data by default. However, you can opt out, even though companies often bury these settings deep in menus.

As a result, many people never find them. At the same time, AI assistants feel private and conversational, so you may share more personal information than you realize. Even if you turn off data collection going forward, companies do not erase what they have already stored. In addition, these settings only control what happens inside each platform. Data brokers still build separate profiles about you using information pulled from across the internet.

Because of this, privacy is not a one-time fix. Instead, you need to check your settings regularly and stay aware of what you share. The good news is you do not have to stop using AI tools. Instead, take a few minutes this week to review your settings and make sure the rest of your digital footprint is not working against you.

How much personal data are you willing to let big tech companies collect from your everyday AI use? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Technology

A folk musician became a target for AI fakes and a copyright troll

Published

19 hours ago

April 4, 2026

Press Room

A folk musician became a target for AI fakes and a copyright troll

In January, folk artist Murphy Campbell discovered several songs on her Spotify profile that did not belong there. They were songs that she had recorded, but she’d never uploaded them to Spotify, and something was off about the vocals.

She quickly surmised that someone had pulled performances of the songs she posted to YouTube, created AI covers, and uploaded them to streaming platforms under her name. I ran one of the songs, “Four Marys”, through two different AI detectors, and it seemed to support her suspicions with both saying it was probably AI-generated.

Campbell was shocked, “I was kind of under the impression that we had a little bit more checks in place before someone could just do that. But, you know, a lesson learned there,” she told The Verge. It took some time before Campbell managed to get the fake songs removed, “I became a pest,” she said. And even then, it wasn’t a complete victory. While the offending tracks don’t appear to be available on YouTube Music or Apple Music anymore, at least one can still be found on Spotify, just under a different artist profile, but with the same name. There are now multiple Murphy Campbells — “Obviously, I was thrilled by that,” the real Murphy Campbell said.

Spotify is testing a new system that would allow artists to manually approve songs before they appear on their profile, but Campbell is skeptical after being burned. “I feel like, every time, an entity that’s that large makes a promise like that to musicians. It seems to just not be what they made it out to be, but I’ll be curious to try it out in the future,” she said.

This was just the beginning of Campbell’s nightmare, however.

On the day that a Rolling Stone article was published, discussing Campbell’s brush with AI imitators, a series of videos were uploaded to YouTube through distributor Vydia. Those videos have not been posted publicly, and it’s unclear if anyone other than the uploader, who goes by Murphy Rider, has seen them. YouTube declined to comment for this story.

Those were used to claim ownership of the material in several of Murphy Campbell’s videos. Campbell received a notice from YouTube reading: “You are now sharing revenues with the copyright owners of the music detected in your video, Darling Corey.” The most confusing part, the songs at the center of these claims are all in the public domain, including the classic “In the Pines,” which dates back to at least the 1870s and has been covered by everyone from Lead Belly to Nirvana (as “Where Did You Sleep Last Night”).

Vydia has since released those claims, and spokesperson Roy LaManna says the person who uploaded the videos has been banned from their platform. Of the over 6,000,000 claims filed by Vydia through YouTube’s Content ID system, 0.02 percent were found to be invalid, which LaManna says is, “by industry standards is like amazing.” Continuing, “we pride ourselves on doing this the right way.”

LaManna also says that Vydia has no connection to Timeless IR or the AI covers that were uploaded to streaming platforms under Campbell’s name. While the timing is certainly suspicious, LaManna says the two incidents are separate.

Vydia has received a lot of blowback including, LaManna says, “literal death threats” which have led to the offices being evacuated. Campbell isn’t about to let Vydia off the hook, but notes that it’s not solely to blame. The worlds of generative AI, music distribution, and copyright are complex with multiple points of failure and opportunities for abuse. “I think it goes way deeper than we think it does,” Campbell says.

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