Recent 2026 research, "AI-Driven Analysis of APK Features for Android Malware Detection and Classification," explores using AI to inspect large Android app repositories for sophisticated malware that might bypass standard checks.
Studies such as a Bachelor Thesis Project Evaluation of the Android Third-party Stores used tools to compare APKs from nine global third-party stores (including ones like APKPure) against official Google Play versions to identify security risks. Not On Google Play Store Archives - APKsPure
Research by cybersecurity firms and academic surveys highlights that APKs from unofficial sources are not 100% safe. For instance, APKPure was found to have been infected with a malicious module in 2021 that downloaded Trojans onto user devices. Recent 2026 research, "AI-Driven Analysis of APK Features