ANDROID users have been warned about a new hack threat that allows cyber crooks to spy on you through your phone’s camera.
Experts have uncovered a worrying new form of spyware that attackers could use to take pictures, as well as record video and audio.
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And that’s not the only thing it can do.
Hackers can also get hold of your location, view images stored on your device, and more, according to Zimperium zLabs who uncovered it.
They’ve named the threat RatMilad.
“Spyware such as RatMilad is designed to run silently in the background, constantly spying on its victims without raising suspicion,” Zimperium said.
Fortunately, RatMilad has not been found in any apps available on Google Play Store.
But Android owners are being told to watch out, as bad actors are spreading it via social platforms instead.
It’s here that they encourage unwitting victims to sideload a fake app onto their phone.
Unlike iPhone, you can download apps on an Android device away from the Google Play Store.
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This is designed to give people more choice and keep the operating system open.
But it comes at the cost of risky apps making their way onto your smartphone.
If you’re unsure, it’s always best to stick to Google Play Store when downloading apps, as you’re far less likely to stumble across something unscrupulous there.
“The original variant of RatMilad hid behind a VPN, and phone number spoofing app called Text Me with the premise of enabling a user to verify a social media account through a phone, a common technique used by social media users in countries where access might be restricted, or that might want a second, verified account,” Zimperium said.
Researchers don’t know how many people may have fallen victim to the attack.
But they did spot it on a Telegram channel, where the post promoting it had been viewed over 4,700 times with 200+ external shares.
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This post first appeared on Thesun.co.uk
