{"id":220450,"date":"2017-07-19T16:59:02","date_gmt":"2017-07-19T14:59:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/?p=220450"},"modified":"2017-07-19T16:59:24","modified_gmt":"2017-07-19T14:59:24","slug":"ghostctrl-malware-for-android-records-you-and-reads-your-messages","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/security\/220450-ghostctrl-malware-for-android-records-you-and-reads-your-messages.html","title":{"rendered":"GhostCtrl malware for Android records you and reads your messages"},"content":{"rendered":"

Trend Micro has discovered malicious software for Android that can record audio and video captured from your device, read your text messages, and view your calls, Neowin reported<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Calling it GhostCtrl, Trend Micro reported that the malware is a variant of a publicly-available remote administration tool for Android called OmniRAT.<\/p>\n

In addition to spying on targets, GhostCtrl can ultimately become ransomware. It can\u00a0lock the screen, reset the password, root the device, and steal sensitive information.<\/p>\n

The malware appears to be part of an attack against Israeli hospitals where an information stealing worm called\u00a0RETADUP was recently discovered.<\/p>\n

Trend Micro said it found three variants of GhostCtrl.<\/p>\n

“The first stole information and controlled some of the device’s functionalities without obfuscation, while the second added more device features to hijack,” Trend Micro reported.<\/p>\n

“The third iteration combines the best of the earlier versions’ features\u2014and then some. Based on the techniques each employed, we can only expect it to further evolve.”<\/p>\n

The latest version of the exploit includes the capabilities to track your\u00a0location and monitor your browsing history.<\/p>\n

Trend Micro offered the following general advice for users and enterprises to avoid infection by malicious software such as GhostCtrl:<\/p>\n