"Hermit" - A new spyware

Tags: Science and Technology

Lookout, a cloud-based security company, recently discovered a new spyware called "Hermit".

• Important facts

• Hermit spyware is capable of affecting Android and iOS devices.

• As TechCrunch reports, security researchers from Lookout have reported that national governments have used the Android version of Hermit spyware in "targeted attacks" in Kazakhstan and Italy.

• Hermit spyware

• Hermit is a commercial spyware and has been used by governments in northern Syria, Kazakhstan and Italy.

• It was first detected in Kazakhstan in April 2022, when the government violently suppressed protests against its policies.

• It was also deployed in Syria's north-eastern Kurdish region and by Italian authorities for anti-corruption investigations.

• How does Hermit work?

• According to the report, the Hermit Android app is distributed via text message.

• The message seems to be coming from a legitimate source.

• The malware can impersonate telecommunications companies and other apps developed by manufacturers such as Oppo and Samsung.

• Malware Effects on Android and iOS Devices

• The Hermit Android malware is modular because it allows spyware to download additional components that are required for the malware to run.

• Like other spyware, Hermit malware also uses various modules to record audio as well as collect call logs, messages, photos, emails.

• It can redirect phone calls and reveal the exact location of the device.

• Spyware

• Spyware is a type of malware that is installed on a computer and collects information about users in the non-knowledge of them.

• The presence of spyware is usually hidden from users.

• Spyware is secretly installed on users' personal computers.

• Spyware collects a variety of personal information, such as Internet surfing habits and the sites that are visited.