With over a billion downloads, SHAREit is a security liability on Android phones

With more than a billion downloads on Google's Play Store, SHAREit is one of the most popular file sharing apps on Android. Over the years, the app has bloated into becoming a content platform that hosts its own entertainment network featuring a game store and downloads among other things.

According to security firm, Trend Micro, there are several severe flaws in the SHAREit app for Android that can be exploited for nefarious means. As a file sharing app, SHAREit enjoys a vast amount of permissions on your Android phone from reading your storage to access to your camera and microphone, even your location.

"We discovered several vulnerabilities in the application named SHAREit," reads the report by Trend Micro.

"The vulnerabilities can be abused to leak a user’s sensitive data and execute arbitrary code with SHAREit permissions by using a malicious code or app. They can also potentially lead to Remote Code Execution (RCE). In the past, vulnerabilities that can be used to download and steal files from users’ devices have also been associated with the app. While the app allows the transfer and download of various file types, such as Android Package (APK), the vulnerabilities related to these features are most likely unintended flaws."

With a huge number of downloads worldwide, even becoming App Annie's 10 most downloaded apps worldwide for Android in 2020, chances are you probably have it sitting around on your Android phone somewhere.

Trend Micro has said that it has already contacted SHAREit months ago with its report but the app has yet to issue any fixes.

Till SHAREit sorts its app out, we recommend you uninstall from your android phone and stick to Google Files for now.