AhRat Android Trojan Infects 50,000 Smartphones via Google Play Store

Trojan in Google Play Store, hidden in a screen recording app. Specialists at ESET highlight the threat. Beware of seemingly harmless software turning into malware.

A new Trojan has been discovered in the Google Play Store, which provides operators with remote access to the victim's Android device. The malware is concealed within a screen recording app that has accumulated tens of thousands of downloads.

ESET specialists have recently identified this new threat. The Trojan is concealed within a software application known as iRecorder - Screen Recorder. Interestingly, this application was initially published in September 2021 and did not possess any malicious features at that time.

However, nearly a year later, in August 2022, the developers released an update that included the Trojan. This serves as a stark reminder that seemingly harmless software can transform into malware over time.

The declared functionality of iRecorder - Screen Recorder permitted the app to request permissions for video and audio recording without arousing suspicion from the device owner. At some point, the application's downloads on the Google Play Store surpassed 50,000.