Stalkervers or spyware applications are a growing threat

ESET warns against malicious software that an attacker secretly installs on a victim’s device. Such software is called a stalkerver. A study called Android Stalkerware Vulnerabilities pointed to serious vulnerabilities in Android tracking applications and their monitoring servers.

The most significant increase in the stalkerver was recorded at the turn of 2018 and 2019, when it doubled. Spy applications can record the device’s location via GPS coordinates, as well as the conversation or browser history. Such applications are usually disguised as platforms that allegedly protect children, employees and the like. In this way, they try to avoid marking the stalkerver.

The stalk server is a threat to both the victim and the attacker

ESET researchers analyzed 86 spyware applications for Android from various developers. During the analysis, they identified a number of serious security vulnerabilities and privacy flaws. These problems can lead to the victim taking control of the monitored equipment and even the third party seizing the stalker’s account.

A total of 158 deficiencies were identified in 58 applications, which can have serious consequences for victims. However, the stalker himself is also at risk. They are not safe either.

The most common problems include insecure transmission of personal information to identify users, storage of sensitive data on external devices, exposure of sensitive information to unauthorized persons, server leaks of spyware clients, and unauthorized transmission of data from device to server.

“When we discover an error in a service, we contact the provider and wait for 90 days to publish. We have repeatedly reported the identified problems to the providers of the mentioned applications. However, only 6 of them made the correction, ”

Lukáš Štefanko, researcher at ESET