In the Google Play Store, a recent discovery by ESET, a leading cybersecurity firm, uncovered an alarming new instance of a dangerous application. The problematic app, known as iRecorder - Screen Recorder, went unnoticed for a year before it decided to betray its users and engage in spying. It is important to keep in mind that any unusual notification or pop-up message that pops up on our devices requires our attention and caution as attentive users.
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In September 2021, iRecorder Screen Recorder appeared as an application for recording audio and screens on Android mobile devices. The app was initially a seemingly innocuous way to record your screen, but everything changed in August 2022 after an update. Its true intentions were revealed as a nefarious tool to invade users' privacy, commit data theft and capture audio. Despite its debut in September 2021 and more than 50,000 installations, it is now known to be a malicious application.
Lukas Stefanko of Essential Security Against Evolving Threats (ESET) made an intriguing finding when he discovered the workings of this app, which has since been immediately removed from the Play Store.
The August 2022 update marked the start of the criminal prosecution. Stefanko reported that the developer's servers were receiving recordings of 60-second audio snippets, which the app captured in 15-minute intervals. A malicious code caught the expert's attention and prompted them to initiate a stealth recording at that time.
Stefanko is unsure if iRecord is aiding a spying agenda; it has not yet been verified. However, he acknowledged this as a potentiality.
For this reason it is very important that you check the permissions requested by each app before installing it and if they suspiciously ask for access to information that is not useful for the operation of that app it is best not to install it to avoid putting your data security and privacy at risk.