Better to delete it directly: the popular Android app is secretly eavesdropping on its users

A popular Android app is secretly eavesdropping on its users. Here you can find out what security researchers have discovered and the application in question.

The iRecorder Screen Recorder app has been available in the Google Play Store since September 2021. At first, the app didn’t cause any problems. However, since the August 2022 update, the Trojan has been hidden in the app. Like security expert Lucas Stefanco in one Blog entry He writes, and this ensures that the app uses the smartphone’s microphone unnoticed.

This in turn means that every 15 minutes an audio file is recorded with background noise in the mobile phone’s surroundings and sent to the developer’s server via an encrypted link. According to Stefano, the Remote Access Trojan (RAT) has also been integrated into other Android apps.

Over 50,000 downloads: The Android app also checks out certain types of files

iRecorder/Screen Recorder: You’d better delete this Android app from your smartphone.

Photo: WeLiveSecurity/Lukas Stefanko

Besides audio recordings, iRecorder can apparently also output certain types of files such as saved web pages, images, audio, video, and documents. Stefanko concludes that the app could be part of a large espionage campaign.

After discovering the malware, security researchers reported the app directly to Google, which has since removed it from the Play Store. The app has previously been downloaded more than 50,000 times. If the app is still on your phone, it is best to delete it. A good alternative can be found as a download under this entry.