If you are using ES File Explorer file management app on Android, it is better to remove it now!

Recently, two significant security issues were found in the file manager ES File Explore, which put users’ information at risk. Therefore, it is recommended to remove this program from your device as soon as possible.

ES File Explorer file management program is among the best, most powerful and most popular file management applications in the Android operating system. This application offers many features and capabilities in Android.

Among these features are the general management of files with transfer functions, the possibility of preparing backup copies of information and restoring them, remote control of the program through a computer, the possibility of extracting and creating RAR and ZIP compressed files, displaying thumbnails for all types of files, The possibility of connecting to FTP and professional management of files, etc.

Despite all these features, unfortunately, two significant security issues have recently been found in the ES File Explorer file manager, which has put the data of millions of users at risk.

Google’s Android operating system has many features that have made it the preferred and popular mobile operating system for users. One of these features that gives Google’s mobile operating system a good reputation among users is freedom, but sometimes this freedom works like a double-edged sword.

Application security has always been one of the main concerns of Google and the Android team. While there are many security measures in place to protect your device and the Play Store itself, sometimes a problem pops up out of nowhere. No system is perfect, and with more than 2.5 million apps on the Play Store, it’s possible that one of them might have security issues.

Security issues become especially worrisome when an application such as the file management application ES File Explorer develops a security vulnerability. When a program has access to your entire file system, it’s impossible to predict what kind of information it can leak to the rest of the world or what kind of problems it can cause on your device itself.

The ES File Explorer file management app’s breaches were serious enough to leave it out of the Play Store’s security shield, and it’s safe to say that it probably won’t be coming back.

Why should we remove ES File Explorer from our device as soon as possible?

If you have been in the Android world for a long time, you have definitely heard the name ES File Explorer. The 500 million downloads reported by TechCrunch also show that this file manager app has been very popular among users. Unfortunately, things changed for this app when the developers changed their monetization strategy a bit.

When it comes to app and device security, most people immediately think of improving the security of their devices and the data on them, but things are a little different when it comes to this file manager app. Google’s biggest problem with the ES File Explorer app was that its developer, DO Global, used click fraud in many of its apps.

Reporters at BuzzFeed exposed this developer’s scam. Click fraud is a method of generating advertising revenue from in-app ads that are faked clicks on users’ devices in the background. This app basically tricked Google and its advertisers into telling them that users were tapping on in-app ads when users weren’t actually tapping anything!

This problem is mainly related to the free version of this app which was full of ads and offers to download other apps. Users were at risk of suddenly clicking on an ad and not being able to stop it. The situation did not end here, and in 2019, this popular file management program was introduced as one of the harmful applications for Android and was removed from Google Play due to fraud and profit-seeking advertisements.

While Google’s main issue is with its file management app ES File Explorer and its developer, there are other issues that are more end-user related, aside from the bad user experience caused by persistent and intrusive ads. DO Global, the owner of ES File Explorer, is reporting privacy issues with users’ data in China. There is no equipment to protect user information from Chinese government spying in this file manager.

All versions of the program up to version 4.1.9.7.4 are vulnerable to these problems. After running this file manager application, an HTTP server will be opened on port 59777 and will continue to run until ES File Explorer is closed in the background.

Therefore, if an attacker connects to the same local network as an unsuspecting user, he can access information such as device information, installed applications, messages and personal photos on the user’s device and remotely steal a file from his phone or install an application on the user’s device. His device will run.

With annoying in-app ads, notifications insisting you upgrade to a paid version, and concerns about privacy and Google Play Store Terms of Service violations, ES File Explorer is now too risky to use.

The file manager ES File Explorer will no longer be available on Google Play

Google has completely removed ES File Explorer from the Play Store due to violating its terms of service and security issues. But uninstalling this app doesn’t necessarily remove it from your phone. So, if you still have ES File Explorer installed on your phone, you should uninstall it now.

Considering the high-profile reports of the removal of this program from Google Play, it is natural that the creator of this file management application should give a convincing answer to protesting users.

While the original response is no longer available, on April 29, 2019, Android Police posted a copy of a message that DO Global posted on its homepage. In its response, DO Global claimed that it was unaware of the abuse and irregularities and announced that it has launched an investigation and is working with Google to investigate and resolve the issue.

As of DO Global’s response, the app has yet to appear on the Google Play Store. It looks like the file manager ES File Explorer isn’t coming back to the Play Store anytime soon.