Symantec researchers have outted an Android gaming App that tracks user?s locations so that they can be secretly monitored in real time.
Known as Tapsnake, the free app is an Android version of the old school video game. but that?s not all it is, every 15 minutes it uploads GPS coordinates from the users device to a server that can be monitored by people who are running an app called GPS Spy. Made by the same developer, this app will cost you $4.99.
Symantec?s advisory warns: ?GPS Spy then downloads the data and uses this service to conveniently display it as location points in Google Maps. This can give a pretty startling run-down of where someone carrying the phone has been.?
Tapsnake has seen 1,000 to 5,000 downloads, while GPS spy 100 to 500. This discovery comes after a suspicious wall paper app was downloaded millions of times. Which is now believed to be the first in the wild SMS Trojan for the platform.
Researchers have pointed out that an stalker would need to have physical access to the device of the user being targeted. Since account details must be inputted into the device running Tapsnake. Android always notifies users installing apps about the types of resources it will access. So those that innocently install the application, if paying attention, will have reason to be suspicious.
Symantec has made the decision to class the app as malicious due to the fact that it doesn?t disclose it?s snooping features. They also pointed out that the app continues to run in the background after being killed by the user. very unsavoury behaviour indeed!
