Android users should be aware of the presence of a malicious malware virus through application. A team of researchers from cybersecurity company Zimperium recently discovered the matter.
The malware is in an application, the System Update and can take over the device and retrieve the data of its victims.
The app is installed outside the official app store for Android devices, Google Play. When Android users install it, System Update will hide and filter data from the victim’s device to the operator’s server.
According to the research team, when the victim installed the application, the malware would communicate with the operator’s Firebase server and then control the device remotely, quoted by Tech Crunch, Monday (29/3/2021).
Through Malware Can Steal Various Information with Android Application
Hackers might stole many things through this malware. Ranging from contacts, device details, browser bookmarks, search history, recording calls, sounds around the microphone. And even taking photos using a cellphone camera.
In addition, the perpetrator can also track the location of the victim, search for document files and reproduce data from the device clipboard.
The cleverness of this malware is that it can hide from its victims. And can avoid capture by reducing the consumption of data network usage.
Meanwhile, Google declined to comment on what steps they are using to prevent malware from entering its app store.
Zimperium CEO, Shridhar Mittal said this malware is the most sophisticated they ever seen. He also did not rule out a similar application out there.
“I think a lot of time and effort was spent creating this application. We believe there are other applications out there and we are trying our best to find them as quickly as possible,” he said.
Previously, Tech Crunch found and reported a similar app last year. The KidsGuard application acts as if it were a monitoring application for children but it actually infected the victim’s device.
However, at that time the researchers did not know who the perpetrators were and who were the targets.
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