A new bug that is capable of making calls, sending messages and taking pictures while the phone appears to be off, is hitting Android phones at a fast rate, according to a report by AVG.
The malware, known as PowerOffHijack, was first discovered in China, and prompts a fake dialogue box when the user presses the power button. Once the user taps 'OK' in this dialogue box, the phone appears to be switching off with the regular procedure, and the screen goes dark.
But in reality, the phone remains turned on and the malware comes into effect. During this time, apart from exploiting the basic functions of the phone, the malware can also access sensitive information off the device.
PowerOffHijack is mainly targeting phones with Android Lollipop, and has already infected more than 10,000 phones worldwide.
But PowerOffHijack only affects phones that have been rooted, thus limiting the potential pool of infected Android 5.0 smartphones. Google Play also weeds out malicious content, so it is highly unlikely that the malware can enter someone's phone through it. AVG has also said that its app can detect the malware.
