Flashlight app spying on you

[MyCharlie]

Any truth to this?

Cybersecurity Expert Gary Miliefsky - YouTube

Site: SnoopWall » SnoopWall’s Flashlight Apps Threat Report

 

[lunatic59]

Never trust security threat reports from security companies. They are selling something. While it's certainly possible for any app to include malware, if it's a legitimate app from the play store, the risk is minimal. Additionally, check the apps permissions BEFORE you install it. A flashlight app should have control of LED light and the camera (the camera flash is the light). It doesn't need to have access to any personal information or network access.

I use the Teslacoil Flashlight app

Permissions are:

CAMERA - Required to use the camera flash on most devices. The camera flash is attached to the camera, hence the permission. This is not to take photos or record video.
FLASHLIGHT - Required to use the camera flash on some older devices
WAKE_LOCK - Optional, to allow to keep the screen on
SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW - Helps widget responsiveness on some devices

 

[MyCharlie]

Thanks for the response. I'm skeptical about the report in SnoopWall's site. I've been trying to search this topic in other places like CNET, Mashable, PCMag and many other site I know to be reliable and none talks about this "top 10" flashlight apps being a threat.

 

[Hadron]

One app, Brightest Flashlight, was found to have been misrepresenting how customers' data would be used. But that's the only real case I know of.

Like Luna I also use TeslaLED as a flashlight app. That app also has only the permissions needed to do its job, and nothing that could violate privacy (by the developer of Nova launcher).

 

[Lordvincent 90]

Just installed Tesla... It now has camera/microphone listed as it's only permissions

 

[Zmicer]

It's fake, never trust this.