LetMeSpy, a Phone Tracking App Spying On Thousands, Says It Was Hacked (techcrunch.com) 18
An anonymous reader quotes a report from TechCrunch: A hacker has stolen the messages, call logs and locations intercepted by a widely used phone monitoring app called LetMeSpy, according to the company that makes the spyware. The phone monitoring app, which is used to spy on thousands of people using Android phones around the world, said in a notice on its login page that on June 21, "a security incident occurred involving obtaining unauthorized access to the data of website users." "As a result of the attack, the criminals gained access to e-mail addresses, telephone numbers and the content of messages collected on accounts," the notice read.
LetMeSpy is a type of phone monitoring app that is marketed for parental control or employee monitoring. The app is also specifically designed to stay hidden on a phone's home screen, making it difficult to detect and remove. Also known as stalkerware or spouseware, these kinds of phone monitoring apps are often planted by someone -- such as spouses or domestic partners -- with physical access to a person's phone, without their consent or knowledge. Once planted, LetMeSpy silently uploads the phone's text messages, call logs, and precise location data to its servers, allowing the person who planted the app to track the person in real-time.
Polish security research blog Niebezpiecznik first reported the breach. When Niebezpiecznik contacted the spyware maker for comment, the hacker reportedly responded instead, claiming to have seized wide access to the spyware maker's domain. It's not clear who is behind the LetMeSpy hack or their motives. The hacker intimated that they deleted LetMeSpy's databases stored on the server. A copy of the hacked database also appeared online later the same day. TechCrunch reviewed the leaked data, which included years of victims' call logs and text messages dating back to 2013. The database we reviewed contained current records on at least 13,000 compromised devices, though some of the devices shared little to no data with LetMeSpy. (LetMeSpy claims to delete data after two months of account inactivity.)
LetMeSpy is a type of phone monitoring app that is marketed for parental control or employee monitoring. The app is also specifically designed to stay hidden on a phone's home screen, making it difficult to detect and remove. Also known as stalkerware or spouseware, these kinds of phone monitoring apps are often planted by someone -- such as spouses or domestic partners -- with physical access to a person's phone, without their consent or knowledge. Once planted, LetMeSpy silently uploads the phone's text messages, call logs, and precise location data to its servers, allowing the person who planted the app to track the person in real-time.
Polish security research blog Niebezpiecznik first reported the breach. When Niebezpiecznik contacted the spyware maker for comment, the hacker reportedly responded instead, claiming to have seized wide access to the spyware maker's domain. It's not clear who is behind the LetMeSpy hack or their motives. The hacker intimated that they deleted LetMeSpy's databases stored on the server. A copy of the hacked database also appeared online later the same day. TechCrunch reviewed the leaked data, which included years of victims' call logs and text messages dating back to 2013. The database we reviewed contained current records on at least 13,000 compromised devices, though some of the devices shared little to no data with LetMeSpy. (LetMeSpy claims to delete data after two months of account inactivity.)
That's nothing (Score:3, Funny)
So on second though, let's not go to Camelot, 'tis a silly place.
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Awww, I Feel So Bad (Score:2)
Feel me and see for yourself!!
Live By The Sword... (Score:4, Insightful)
The "Phone" is the Problem (Score:1)
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A new bread of feature phones is needed. The smartphone is beyond control by now.
They're already here. I got my new Ciabatta Phone six months ago.
Beauty is churning just below the surface of the w (Score:2)
Waiting to break through, like magma in a volcano. The time is short, I really feel like we are on the cusp of a new world. The flaws in the way we have been are breaking through.
Yep (Score:2)
A company selling a product that should be illegal gets fucked over. Good. Screw all their shitty, immoral customers.
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I'm kinda thinking that someone ought grab that data dump, and write a script to send a message to everyone who was spied on something to the effect of
Dear
installed malware on your machine on , and has intercepted all of your messages since. As a result of a data breach affecting the criminals who created the malware, now everyone else has your data. You should discuss this with who paid to do this to you.
Please change your passwords, bank details , clear your browser history and consider a divor
Re: Yep (Score:2)
I would agree, if only account holders' details were dumped.
But instead, victims got victimized twice: "the leaked data [...] included years of victims' call logs and text messages" I very much feel for the victims.
I would rather have seen corporate data dumped and victims data wiped.
Great (Score:2)
Serves you right for installing that kind of malware deliberately.
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Guess their security could use some⦠(Score:2)
â¦polish