Android users are recommended to think twice before using third-party app stores. A critical strain of Spywares has been recognized by researchers, posing a threat to the many millions of Android smartphone users.
- Security company Zimperium Zlabs blogged in a post warning about the “sophisticated “ new campaign, which disguised malware as an android System update in a bid to fool users and triggering the infection everywhere. Once the device has been contaminated, the spyware can record phone calls, take photos, access messages, and much more unthinkable acts to harass the user. Any data collected is then lifted from the Android device via a dedicated command and control server.
- According to this popular security company the ill-disposed malware downloaded is being distributed via third-party application stores and has never been listed on the official Google Play store.
- The firm explained, “ this spyware doesn’t use data assembled before a fixed period. For example, location data is accumulated either from the GPS or the network, and if this most recent value is more than five minutes in the past, it decides to gather and store the location data all over again”.
- To avoid exposure, the malware is programmed to immediately delete any additional files it has created on the device as soon as they have been uploaded successfully. To shroud against this new, malware tension, users are recommended to never download any content from the 3rd party stores and keep their AntiVirus always activated.
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