An Android application which is designed as a backup tool to protect device data, actually steals information about the phone and user activity.
It's called SocialPath and a version of the malware managed to pass the test and be offered in the official Android store Google play
Google has just been warned by security investigators about its risk by deleting it from its list, but until it was recognized and removed, Google received several clicks to download.
Security researchers who have tracked the occasional malware trafficking campaigns have noticed that almost one 6.000 click, most of which comes from Lebanon (1.715).
The next ones two positions were users from Sudan (1.117) and Oman (666). Users in European Union countries were duped on 7% of all clicks.
According to Jeremy Linden of Lookout, SocialPath promises to create secure copies of your contact list and informs that the service will soon be extended to photos, video και άλλου τύπου αρχεία, και επίσης ισχυρίζεται ότι προσφέρει την πρόσβαση των χρηστών στα δεδομένα τους, αν η συσκευή χαθεί ή κλαπεί. Αν ο παραλήπτης του μηνύματος αποφασίζει να εγγραφεί στην υπηρεσία, καλείται να δώσει το πλήρες όνομα, διεύθυνση ηλεκτρονικού ταχυδρομείου, αριθμός τηλεφώνου, χώρα διαμονής και μια προσωπική photo.
These are not the only items that are sent to their server as the application has features to leak out the contact list, messages, full log, which includes phone numbers, exact time and duration of calls.
Linden says malware is also capable of making calls to numbers sent by the rogue server, and then deleting call records to hide its activities.
As for the identity of the scammers for this particular case and based on the data found in the application code, Linden believes that arabic people are hiding. Taking into account the countries concerned, SocialPath may be a spying tool for political purposes, but it may well be part of a more advanced phishing with financial incentives.
Regardless of its scope, users of devices with Android they should download apps for their devices only from trusted sources, avoid third-party stores where the content is not tested, and finally read user feedback about any negative reports.
