- Catwatchful data leak affects 62,000 victims, including 26,000 victims phone data
- The dubious developer got out by reusing an e-mail address
- Google is committed to warning users of the application
Security researcher Eric Daigle has revealed information on a serious data violation affecting Catwatchful, an Android Spyware application disguised as a children’s monitoring tool.
A user database completes with clear text passwords and email addresses affecting more than 62,000 users has been disclosed, with phone data such as messages, photos, location, microphone and camera flows also putting 26,000 victims in danger.
According to the report, the Spyware application runs in stealth mode hidden to users, collecting and downloading information.
The Catwatchful application is full of spy software
As is typical of Stalkerware like this, Catwatchful is an application that works outside the Play Store, requiring physical installation via a process called farming.
The application administrator, the Uruguay-based developer Omar Soca Charcov, was exposed because the email he used for Catwatchful had been reused on Linkedin.
Daigle also noted that the Charcov administration account was the first recording of the raped database, with the recovery of password linked to its personal email address.
The data was stored on Google Firebase, sent via a personalized API which was not authenticated, resulting in open access to the data of user and victims. The report also confirms that, although accommodation was initially suspended by Hostgator, it had been restored via another temporary area.
Most affected devices affect users of Mexico, Colombia, India, Peru, Argentina, Ecuador and Bolivia.
Daigle was able to exploit an SQL injection vulnerability to access the database, which led it to conclude that Firebase was not the source of vulnerability, but rather the API.
Google was informed, and although the application is not distributed on the Play Store, the company added Google Play Protect alerts for Catwatchful.
To stay protected from threats like this, it is important to use the best antivirus software, reliable malicious software suppression tools and high end protection.
Even well -known applications and tools can have defects, so that the execution of confidence safety software and maintenance of all applications help reduce the risk of malware that slides unnoticed.
