Have you ever worried that your phone might be listening in on your private conversations? Or worse, recording them? Well, that's exactly what could be happening if you accidentally installed a malicious app.
Security researchers at ESET have identified twelve Android apps that have been secretly recording users audio in the background. These malicious apps are used to infect the best Android phones with a spyware called VajraSpy that's being spread using social engineering techniques on Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp.
According to the researchers, the attackers first establish relationships with potential victims who are then asked to move their conversations over to another messaging app which is actually a trojan that carries VajraSpy. Once installed on a vulnerable Android phone, the spyware will then steal contact information, as well as messages, call logs and location data and it can even record ambient audio and phone calls. It can also exfilitrate information about the device itself, like its model, operating system version and network identifiers, and then send this data back to the attackers as well.
Although the ESET research in question was published last year and is currently making the rounds online again right now, some of these apps may still be on your Android device. All 12 apps have since been removed from the Play Store but it's still worth checking to see if any of them are installed on your phone or tablet. If you find any of the 12 below apps on your device, you will need to manually delete them.
- TikTalk
- MeetMe
- Let’s Chat
- Quick Chat
- Chit Chat
- YohooTalk
- Hello Cha
- Rafaqat
- Privee Talk
- Nidus
- GlowChat
- Wave Chat
How to stay safe from spyware
There are a few easy ways to stay save from spyware, and one of the main ways is to avoid links to APKs (especially ones sent to you via chat apps) which will need to be sideloaded onto your device. Instead, you should stick to downloads from official Android app stores and always check the developers name and rating, the permissions an app asks for and read the most recent user reviews.
Likewise, you always want to keep your operating system up-to-date and enable Google Play Protect as well. From there, limit app permissions to only what is necessary and watch for any unusual behaviors after your install apps that you're not sure about. Signs that your device may have become compromised include unusual battery drain, unexplained data usage, or persistent background activity you cannot explain. Particularly in the example of VajraSpy, any unexpected microphone prompts are a major warning, and repeated permission requests are a sign that deserve additional attention.
If you see any of these signs, or notifications that appear briefly and then disappear, or if your contacts are receiving odd messages from you, that's a good indicator that your device may have been infected by malware.
If your device isn't protected by one of the best Android antivirus apps, you should make sure that it is covered and that you can look for malware with real-time scans. These programs also offer additional features, like VPNs and scam alerts, that can help protect your privacy and keep you safe online.
Just because a group of malicious apps came out a long time ago doesn't mean they aren't still doing damage in the real world. This is why I always recommend limiting the number of apps you have installed overall. That way, if one is malicious or it goes bad over time, it will be a lot easier to find.
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