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Russia's Kaspersky Lab detects virus stealing messages from WhatsApp

In addition, the virus allows hackers to collect and analyze traffic of a victim: visited sites, logins, passwords and credit card numbers

© Anton Vergun/TASS

MOSCOW, January 17. /TASS/. Russian developer of antivirus software Kaspersky Lab has detected a Skygofree virus, which spies on Android users.

According to the company’s statement the malware can record conversations, read and steal sms, as well as messages from WhatsApp and events from the calendar.

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In addition, the virus allows hackers to connect devices to Wi-Fi networks, they also control, and to collect and analyze traffic of a victim: visited sites, logins, passwords and credit card numbers.

"It has a lot of different functions, including some unique ones that we have not seen anywhere else, for example, it can track the location of the device and switch on a sound recording when the owner is near certain coordinates. In practice, this means that attackers can start listening to the environment of the victim, say, when he or she enters the office or on a visit to a familiar financial director," the experts of the Lab said.

According to the company, the Skygofree virus is spread through fake websites of major cellular operators, where users are asked to install an "Internet connection accelerator". Kaspersky Lab specialists say that this virus has been active since 2014 and is constantly being improved, but it was discovered only at the end of 2017.

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