Update: February 20, 2026 (05:12 PM ET): Following our request for comment and the publication of the original article below, a Google spokesperson provided us with the following statement:
“Based on our current detection, no apps containing this malware are found on Google Play. Android users are automatically protected against known versions of this malware by Google Play Protect, which is on by default on Android devices with Google Play Services. Google Play Protect can warn users or block apps known to exhibit malicious behavior, even when those apps come from sources outside of Play.”
The ESET researchers had already shared their findings with Google, and similar assurances to those in the statement above are echoed in the report. Despite the abilities this malware demonstrates, there seems to be very little risk to Android users at this stage.
Original article: February 20, 2026 (01:19 PM ET): It’s been a worrying week on the Android malware front. On Tuesday, we learned of tablets shipping with hidden malware already embedded in their firmware. Now, researchers say they’ve spotted something arguably more futuristic: Android malware that uses Google’s own Gemini AI model during execution.