Xavier can now steal pretty much any data from an infected device and collect information such as email addresses, app files, SIM card information, and even messages.

Hell is onto us. Well, not literally, but figuratively yes. Remember the WannaCry incident which infected a lot of systems worldwide. Now it looks like more Android users have been exposed to being hacked through apps which were published in the Google Play Store.

According to security company Trend Micro, their report warns that they discovered more than 800 apps published in the Google Play Store that are infected by Xavier, a form of malware that was originally discovered nearly two years ago, but which has since evolved to get more capabilities which is worrying for users.

The app Xavier comes pre-installed in every form of free apps like photo-editors and wallpapers, and the firm has stated that these apps have already recorded millions of downloads on the Play Store.

Also, Xavier can now steal pretty much any data from an infected device and collect information such as email addresses, app files, SIM card information, and even messages. Even though Asian users were mostly the target of this reinvented version of Xavier, with the biggest number of infections spotted in Vietnam and Indonesia, the security firm says that it also detected downloads of infected apps in the United States and Europe, though in this case the number of substantially smaller.

Users are advised not to download these apps if they do not appear to come from a legitimate source, even if they are on the Google Play Store. Google will most likely remove these apps soon.