Google Pixel 4 tool spy
Our researchers could do the same even when a user was is in the middle of a voice call. The ability for an application to retrieve input from the camera, microphone, and GPS location is considered highly invasive by Google themselves.
Yes, your smartphone camera can be used to spy on you… – Naked Security
As a result, AOSP created a specific set of permissions that an application must request from the user. Since this was the case, Checkmarx researchers designed an attack scenario that circumvents this permission policy by abusing the Google Camera app itself, forcing it to do the work on behalf of the attacker.
It is known that Android camera applications usually store their photos and videos on the SD card. Since photos and videos are sensitive user information, in order for an application to access them, it needs special permissions: storage permissions. Unfortunately, storage permissions are very broad and these permissions give access to the entire SD card.
There are a large number of applications, with legitimate use-cases, that request access to this storage, yet have no special interest in photos or videos.
Additionally, if the location is enabled in the camera app, the rogue application also has a way to access the current GPS position of the phone and user. Of course, a video also contains sound. It was interesting to prove that a video could be initiated during a voice call.
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The malicious app we designed for the demonstration was nothing more than a mockup weather app that could have been malicious by design. Even closing the app does not terminate the persistent connection.
A video of successfully exploiting the vulnerabilities was taken by our research team and can be viewed here. When the vulnerabilities were first discovered, our research team ensured that they could reproduce the process of easily exploiting them. Once that was confirmed, the Checkmarx research team responsibly notified Google of their findings.
Working directly with Google, they notified our research team and confirmed our suspicion that the vulnerabilities were not specific to the Pixel product line. Google informed our research team that the impact was much greater and extended into the broader Android ecosystem, with additional vendors such as Samsung acknowledging that these flaws also impact their Camera apps, and began taking mitigating steps.
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A patch has also been made available to all partners. For proper mitigation and as a general best practice, ensure you update all applications on your device. There are a large number of applications, with legitimate use-cases, that request access to this storage, yet have no special interest in photos or videos," said the researchers. Additionally, if the location is enabled in the camera app, the rogue application also has a way to access the current GPS position of the phone and user.
Google said that "We appreciate Checkmarx bringing this to our attention and working with Google and Android partners to coordinate disclosure. A patch has also been made available to all partners," the company said. Forget spyware Pegasus, camera on Android phone can spy on you Security researchers at cyber security firm Checkmarx have found that vulnerabilities impact the camera apps of smartphone vendors like Google Pixel and some Samsung devices in the Android ecosystem, presenting significant implications to hundreds-of-millions of smartphone users.
Google Pixel 4
Both Google and Samsung have issued a security patch for the vulnerabilities. Image for representation: Reuters. Also Watch Pegasus snoopgate: WhatsApp expresses regret over security breach.