Android malware steals location data from mobile devices

BitDefender Labs has discovered Android malware that regularly broadcasts the location of the infected mobile device to a remote server.

What the malware creators intend to do with the privacy-invading information is not clear. The app operates in the background and appears on the smartphone or tablet as an icon with the word "store" written on it.

The store icon is apparently meant to fool the device user into thinking that it is only an e-commerce app, according to Bit-defender. In actuality, the malware broadcasts latitude and longitude of the device, as well as the name of the wireless carrier. It also attempts to enable the device's Wi-Fi connection and scan for antivirusailable access points. All the data is transmitted to the remote server via the device's Internet connection.