Be cautious of North Korean spyware applications available on the Google Play store.

      Joe Maring / Digital Trends

      Android users should exercise caution regarding downloads from the Google Play store, as security researchers have recently discovered a range of apps containing North Korean spyware available on the platform. The five identified apps seemed like harmless system utilities, such as file managers, but could collect personal data, including SMS messages, call logs, and device location once installed.

      Lookout Threat Lab pinpointed these apps, listed in English and Korean, which include 휴대폰 관리자 (Phone Manager), File Manager, 스마트 관리자 (Smart Manager), 카카오 보안 (Kakao Security), and Software Update Utility. Google has since removed them from the Play Store.

      The spyware utilized a new surveillance tool called KoSpy, believed to have originated from a North Korean state-sponsored hacker group known as ScarCruft or APT37.

      “KoSpy is a new Android spyware linked to the North Korean group APT37. It disguises itself as utility apps and targets users who speak Korean and English,” the researchers at Lookout Threat Lab warned. “KoSpy has the capability to gather extensive data, including SMS messages, call logs, location, files, audio, and screenshots through dynamically loaded plugins.”

      The affected apps did not operate effectively as advertised: some had basic interfaces that accessed Android settings, while others displayed only fake system windows and were non-functional. However, once installed, the apps could download plugins and gather surveillance information. This included monitoring SMS messages, call logs, device location, local files and folders, recording screenshots and keystrokes, and even capturing audio or photos using the phone’s cameras.

      With the removal of the apps from the Play Store, the number of users who might have downloaded them and been compromised remains uncertain, but this serves as a timely reminder to verify the sources and credibility of apps before granting them access to your device.

      Georgina has been the space writer at Digital Trends for six years, covering human space exploration, planetary…

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