German researchers have honed in on the Star N9500, an Android device manufactured in China that is being distributed across Europe with pre-installed malware disguised as a Google Play Store app. Researchers have discovered that there is no way for the device owner to remove or disable the malicious application because it is integrated with the smartphone’s firmware.

This spyware runs in the background and can’t be detected by users as the device sends personal data to a server in China enabling the retrieval of personal data, interception of calls and online banking data, reading emails or text messages and control of the camera and microphone remotely.

Thus far, the server in China is anonymous so there’s no way of knowing who receives or uses the personal data.

I wonder if this is happening in other countries too.

(Photo Credit: OlegDoroshin / Shutterstock.com)