Security researchers at Lookout have released new details about an Android spyware deployed in targeted attacks by national governments, with victims in Kazakhstan, Syria and Italy.
The spyware, which Lookout is naming Hermit, was first detected in Kazakhstan in April, just months after the Kazakh government violently suppressed protests against government policies. Lookout said a Kazakh government entity was likely behind the most recent campaign. The spyware has also been deployed in the northeastern Kurdish region of Syria, and by Italian authorities as part of an anti-corruption investigation.
Lookout obtained a sample of the Hermit Android malware, which they say is modular, allowing the spyware to download additional components as the malware needs it. The spyware uses …
