An urgent warning has been issued after Google discovered a powerful spyware which can record audio and track location. The new virus is said to be targeting both Android and Apple device users.
Benoit Sevens and Clement Lecigne, of Google's Threat Analysis Group, have urged anyone with a phone or tablet to beware of the new threat, which has been called Hermit. The spyware is reported to have been used by foreign state-sponsored operatives to target specific individuals, HullLive reports.
Once it is installed on a device, it was log your calls, record audio, read your emails and text messages, harvest your pictures and videos and track your location. Hermit can work on all versions of Android, and can grant itself even more privileges on your device, according to TechCrunch.
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Google said all the attacks started with a unique link sent via text message and it downloads itself onto your devise if it is opened.. They added: "Once clicked, the page attempted to get the user to download and install a malicious application on either Android or iOS. In some cases, we believe the actors worked with the target’s ISP to disable the target’s mobile data connectivity.
"Once disabled, the attacker would send a malicious link via SMS asking the target to install an application to recover their data connectivity."
Google has started contacting people whose devices have been infected - so far it has found victims in Italy and Kazakhstan. Apple is reportedly working on a fix for the security breaches that allowed the malware to be installed.
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