14 DAY TRIAL // These days, malicious Android apps don’t just inflate your phone bill by sending SMS messages to premium-rate numbers. It appears that they also steal GPS coordinates and send them back to the cybercriminals.
This particular piece of spyware – advertised as an app called Store – silently works in the background, periodically broadcasting the victim’s location back to a remote server.
According to Bitdefender experts, the latitude and the longitude of the user is not the only information the spy is after. It also collects mobile carrier details and Wi-Fi connection data.
Researchers believe that attackers may be after the geographical position and connectivity details of certain Wi-Fi networks.
This type of rogue application may soon be integrated into other shady apps, especially since it manages to hide its activities with little effort.
Android users are advised to be on the lookout for “Store” apps that don’t appear to do anything. Cybercriminals may be tracking their position every few seconds.