Not every scammy app was designed that way by the developers. Hackers can target popular apps and inject them with malicious code. And it’s incredibly spooky when this happens to one with a ton of downloads.
When good apps break bad
The app iRecorder – Screen Recorder has more than 50,000 installs … now passes along a Remote Access Trojan (RAT) to users, Cybersecurity firm ESET says.
The original version of the app uploaded to the Google Play Store in 2021 was fine. But an August 2022 update added malware. Google has kicked it out, but make sure you delete it from your phone if it’s installed.
Recording more than just your screen
The malware-infected app can record audio, steal files from your phone and send them back to hackers’ servers. Yeesh. Imagine your photos, videos and docs being secretly passed along to criminals.
At least there’s this
If your phone runs Android 11 or up (it should … We’re currently on Android 13), there’s a feature working in the background called App hibernation. Any apps you haven’t opened in months essentially go dormant and all permissions are reset. OK, Google, I appreciate that one.
