Camscanner, an app used popularly to convert photos of your documents into PDF files, was recently found to have an advertising library containing a malicious module.
CamScanner has been downloaded more than 100 million times by Android users. However, cyber-security researchers at Kaspersky say they found that a recent version contained malicious code in the part of the app that delivers ads.
The malware could have made it possible to show users intrusive ads or snoop on login credentials. Researchers did not examine the iPhone version of CamScanner to see if it was also affected.
The free version of CamScanner for Android is currently not available on Google’s Play Store in the UK.
CamScanner said it had released a new version of the app, with the malicious code removed.
If you have automatic updates enabled for your apps, which many people do, there is a chance you have a version of app containing malware on your device.
If in doubt, it is best to delete CamScanner and wait for a new version to be launched and tested by cyber-security researchers, said Matthew Hickey at security firm Hacker House.
Mr Hickey also advised users who have mobile banking apps to be particularly cautious and use an anti-virus app that can regularly check for malicious code.