Spyhide is a stalkerware app that might be stealing your private and sensitive data like passwords, contacts, messages, call logs, and real-time location data among other things.
According to a report by TechCrunch, once installed on a device, the phone surveillance app automatically hides itself which makes it difficult to find and remove. When planted on a victim’s phone, it continuously uploads information from the device to a remote server in the background.
What did Spyhide steal?
While they often operate stealthily, stalkerware apps sometimes leak information stolen from the victim’s phone. In a blog post, a Switzerland-based hacker named Maia Arson Crimew said he was able to access Spyhide’s source code and got access to a web-based dashboard where the victim’s stolen phone information was displayed.
Crimew noted that Spyhide’s database had detailed records of somewhere around 60,000 affected Android devices, with some even dating back to July 2018. This included information about each file on the device like when a photo or video was taken, where it was taken and when it was uploaded.
The stolen data also includes 3.29 million text messages which have confidential information like two-factor authentication codes, password reset links and 1.2 million call logs with details like number of receiver, and length of call. In addition to this, it also contained 3,12,000 call recordings, 9,25,000 contact details, records for 3,82,000 photos and around 6,000 audio clips that were silently recorded from the victim’s phone without their knowledge.
The report reveals that Spyhide was able to access devices across all continents. Brazil and Europe had thousands of victims, while the United States had approximately 3,100 victims. Although this may seem like a small number, they were the most monitored in terms of location data.
The database also stored information of more than 7,50,000 people who signed up to use Spyhide and wanted to install the stalkerware on someone’s phone. However, most people who signed up did not pay for the spyware or installed it on another device.
How do I find and remove Spyhide from my phone?
To check if your device is affected by Spyhide, open the Settings app on your phone and head over to the list of installed applications. Spyhide disguises itself under the name ‘Google Settings’ or ‘T.Ringtone’. If you spot any of these apps, uninstall it. However, doing so will most likely alert the person who planted the app. Alternatively, you can also turn on ‘Google Play Protect’ from the Google Play app settings.
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