By Park Si-soo

North Korean hackers traced defectors with three malware-infected Android apps, U.S. cyber security company McAfee claims.

Report: https://bit.ly/2x5J30K

The apps were uploaded to the Google Play Store between January and March. The first app was Food Ingredients Info, which offered information on food, true to its name. The second and third apps were FastAppLock and Fast AppLock Free, which functioned as security tools.

The apps were also promoted on Facebook, coaxing "targets" to install seemingly innocent apps from the Google Play Store.

The apps have since been removed from the store. About 100 people downloaded them before the malware was detected.

McAfee said that once installed, the apps used Dropbox and Yandex to upload data and issue commands. Their developers ― presumed to be North Korean hackers collectively named Sun Team ― were able to steal users' personal data, with which they could trace and blackmail them.

The hacking team is said to be behind the WannaCry ransomware last year.