Security researchers have warned that a Samsung Galaxy S4 knockoff dubbed Star N9500 manufactured in China and being sold globally is shipped with preinstalled malware capable of spying on users.
Researchers from G Data Software first discovered the malware and revealed that it comes preinstalled on N9500 masquerading as Play Store app and cannot be detected by regular users. The researchers claimed that personal information of users is being sent off to an anonymous server in China without their consent.
“The intercepted data is sent to an anonymous server in China,” says Christian Geschkat, Product Manager Mobile Solutions at G Data. “It is not possible to find out who ends up receiving and using the data.”
The malware is capable of intercepting calls, online banking data, text messages, emails, while also being able to control the smartphone’s mic and camera.
Star N9500 is being sold through online retailers including Amazon for as low as €135 and this is one of the reasons that customers buy the smartphone. For this low a price, they get a quad-core smartphone with an extensive range of accessories and an extra battery.
“It is not possible to remove the manipulated app and the spyware since they are integrated into the firmware”, notes G Data. “Unfortunately, removing the Trojan is not possible as it is part of the device’s firmware and apps that fall into this category cannot be deleted.”
Users can use G DATA Internet Security for Android or other similar security software capable of detecting the malware to check if their smartphone is infected. If the smartphone is affected, the only choice they have at the moment is to return the handset from the retailer they bought it from in the first place.
