6-6-2023 (NEW YORK) Security experts are advising users to delete a screen recording app that was available on the Google Play Store. The app, named iRecorder – Screen Recorder, was found to have been “trojanised” with malicious code that allowed it to spy on users. Cybersecurity company ESET reported that the app had over 50,000 installs from the Google Play Store.
According to ESET researchers, the iRecorder app initially did not contain any harmful features. However, in August 2022, an update was released that included malicious code, enabling the app to record audio from the device’s microphone and steal files. It could also capture various file types, including web pages, images, audio, video, and documents.
The inclusion of malicious features in an update several months after the app’s launch is considered unusual, highlighting the stealthy nature of the malicious activity. Fortunately, Google has since removed the app from the Play Store.
ESET has not identified a specific group or individual behind the trojanised app, as no concrete evidence has been found. Users who had downloaded the app prior to the inclusion of the malicious code may have unwittingly updated their version with the harmful features.
To protect their privacy and security, users are strongly advised to delete the iRecorder – Screen Recorder app immediately if they have it installed on their devices. By removing the app, users can mitigate the risk of their microphone being covertly accessed and their files being stolen.
