We often worry about being tracked by companies online, stalkerware app They are often installed by someone close to us, posing an even greater risk to both our privacy and security.
stalkerware and spyware Despite the fact that you can’t find this type of app in the Google Play Store or Apple’s App Store, both have grown significantly in recent years. Instead, it often has to be manually loaded onto the victim’s device by a partner or spouse. That is why stalkerware is also called spouseware.
Besides violating user privacy and security, many of these apps contain vulnerabilities and other security flaws that can expose victims’ data to third parties. One such app, called XNSPY, stole data from tens of thousands of his iPhone and Android users, according to a new report from . TechCrunch (opens in new tab) — but it also has a lot of security flaws.
XNSPY
XNSPY is one of the most popular stalkerware apps today even though it is not on any app store. In fact, according to data reviewed by TechCrunch, at least 60,000 smartphone users have been tracked by the app since 2014, but it recently saw a flurry of new victims during the pandemic.
This stalkerware must be loaded manually, so the spying person needs physical access to the target device. To use all of XNSPY’s features, your Android phone must be rooted, but your iPhone must be connected to your computer via iTunes during setup.
XNSPY is a website that has the ability to check the victim’s calls and messages, take screenshots from the device, record the surroundings, see where they are using GPS, WhatsApp, Facebook and other messages. It advertises a long list of spying features, including the ability to monitor keystrokes from. View the platform, Wi-Fi network location and name, and more.
As you can imagine, using a stalkerware app to track someone is highly illegal, as XNSPY’s site points out: Failure to do so will likely violate applicable law and may subject violators to severe financial and criminal penalties. ”
full of security flaws
Over the past few months, security researchers Vangelis Stykas and Felipe Solferini have been investigating how stalkerware apps transmit data and to which networks.
They recently published their findings B-Side London (opens in new tab) At a security conference, he revealed that he had identified several common and easy-to-find security flaws in many stalkerware apps, including XNSPY. These flaws further expose the victim’s stolen data. Unfortunately, much of this data is not stored securely to begin with.
Installing stalkerware on Android devices is easy, sideload the appData reviewed by TechCrunch identified over 10,000 unique iCloud email addresses and passwords used to access victims’ cloud data. To make matters worse, the data seen by the press was not encrypted.
Unlike other apps that are pressured by Google or Apple to fix security flaws, the same cannot be said for stalkerware apps. These apps are not hosted on official app stores, so no one else holds the developers accountable.
How to protect yourself from stalkerware
The first thing you should do to protect yourself from stalkerware is to carry your smartphone whenever possible. Do not leave it unattended while you are at home, and always carry it with you when you leave the house. This isn’t always possible, so you’ll have to set a PIN for her that only you know to unlock the device. fingerprint Also facial recognition.
If you suspect that XNSPY or another similar stalkerware app may be installed on your device, there are some tell-tale signs to look out for. This includes phones that use more data than usual and batteries that don’t last long when charging. Similarly, random glitches in frequently used apps could indicate that you have stalkerware installed.
on the other hand, Best Android Antivirus App Sometimes it can detect that stalkerware is installed on your smartphone, but not always.If you believe your personal privacy and security are at risk, we recommend upgrading to a new phone instead, but this should be a last resort.To keep your iCloud data safe, enable should be Advanced data protection on your iPhone.
Stalkerware continues to threaten people around the world, but Google has made some progress in fighting its spread. For example, the search giant banned stalkerware apps from his Play Store and also removed ads for these kinds of apps. Unless law enforcement or other government agencies are involved, there is a market for stalkerware apps, so they may still exist.