The idea behind the software is simple. When the spying party installs the stalkerware, they grant permission to record what happens on the targeted Android or Windows device. The observer can then log in on an online portal and activate recording, at which point a screen capture is taken on the target’s device.

What goes around comes around, you might say. As you may have read many times before on our blog, some spyware companies have a surprisingly low standard of security .

In 2021, we reported that “employee and child-monitoring” software vendor pcTattletale hadn’t been very careful about securing the screenshots it sneakily took from its victims’ phones. A security researcher found an issue while using a trial version of pcTattleTale, noticing that the company uploaded the screenshots to an unsecured online database (meaning anyone could view the screenshots as they weren’t protected by any form of authentication—such as a user name and password).

Last week another security researcher, Eric Daigle, found the company appears to have learned nothing from its previous security issue. Daigle found that pcTattletale’s Application Programming Interface (API) allows any attacker to access the most recent screen capture recorded from any device on which the spyware is installed. Despite repeated warnings from Daigle and others, no improvements were made.

Then, yet another researcher found yet another bug in pcTattletale which allowed them to gain full access to the backend infrastructure. This allowed them to deface the website and steal the AWS credentials which turned out to be the same for all devices. Amazon has now locked pcTattletale’s entire AWS infrastructure.

After a quick sweep, stalkerware researcher, Maia Crimew stated:

“pcTattletale currently holds over 17 terabytes of victim device screenshots (upwards of 300 million of them from over 10 thousand devices), with some of them dating back to 2018.”

According to 2023 research from Malwarebytes, 62 percent of people in the United States and Canada admitted to monitoring their romantic partners online in one form or another, from looking through a spouse’s or significant other’s text messages, to tracking their location, to rifling through their search history, to even installing monitoring software onto their devices.

Given the low security of the apps available to home users, this is extremely concerning. Installing monitoring software is not just a huge invasion of privacy, there is a big chance that it will backfire.

Removing stalkerware

Malwarebytes, as one of the founding members of the Coalition Against Stalkerware, makes it a priority to detect and remove stalkerware-type apps from your device. It is good to keep in mind however that by removing the stalkerware-type app you will alert the person spying on you that you know the app is there.

Because the apps install under a different name and hide themselves from the user, it can be hard to find and remove them. That is where Malwarebytes can help you.

1. Open your Malwarebytes dashboard
2. Tap Scan now
3. It may take a few minutes to scan your device.

 If malware is detected you can act on it in the following ways:

• Uninstall. The threat will be deleted from your device.
• Ignore Always. The file detection will be added to the Allow List, and excluded from future scans. Legitimate files are sometimes detected as malware. We recommend reviewing scan results and adding files to Ignore Always that you know are safe and want to keep.
• Ignore Once: A file has been detected as a threat, but you are not sure whether to add it to your Allow List or delete. This option will ignore the detection this time only. It will be detected as malware on your next scan.

On Windows machines Malwarebytes detects pcTattleTale as PUP.Optional.PCTattletale.

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Soon after an independent researcher exposed a vulnerability in the commercial-grade pcTattletale spyware tool that could compromise recordings, the tool’s website was hacked and defaced. The hacker claimed to have accessed at least 17TB of victim screenshots and other sensitive data, viewing the site's hacking as a personal challenge after a researcher's limited disclosure to prevent exploitation of the flaw by bad actors. Amazon promptly placed an official lock on the site's AWS infrastructure following the hacking incident. The pcTattletale spyware's flawed architecture and its discovery demonstrate the inherent vulnerabilities present in common spyware applications, potentially impacting not just individuals but entire organizations and families.

pcTattletale Spyware Vulnerabilities and Poor-Data Handling Practices

The pcTattletale spyware tool offered a live feed of screenshots from the victim's device as its primary feature, alongside typical spyware functionalities like location tracking. However, this extensive monitoring feature backed on poor infrastructure and data-handling practices has also been its downfall, with data breaches exposing private data of targets. First, a 2021 data breach incident demonstrated Individual Directory Override (IDOR) vulnerabilities in the spyware tool's domain infrastructure, potentially allowing access to sensitive data through guessable Amazon S3 URLs. Last week, researcher Eric Daigle uncovered an API bug that also potentially allowed access to sensitive data across registered devices. This vulnerability allowed unauthorized users to access private information in the form of comprehensive screen recordings. A subsequent hack then exposed pcTattletale's backend to the public, revealing an astonishing disregard for secure practices. The hacker discovered that the spyware shipped with hardcoded AWS credentials, accessible via a hidden webshell, potentially enabling years of undetected data exfiltration. This oversight, remarkable for its simplicity and duration, underscores a major failure in the handling of user data.

pcTattletale Spyware Latest Hack

The hacker defaced pcTattletale's official site, replacing it with a writeup of the operation and links to compromised data obtained from the site's AWS infrastructure. The vastness of the data stored by pcTattletale was found to be overwhelming, with the hacker reporting their discovery of over 17 terabytes of victim device screenshots from more than 10,000 devices, some dating back to 2018. Although the released data dump did not include these screenshots, it reportedly contained database dumps, full webroot files for the stalkerware service, and other S3 bucket contents, exposing years of sensitive information.   [caption id="attachment_70264" align="alignnone" width="2230"] Source: archive.org[/caption] The breach also uncovered a simple webshell hidden since at least December 2011 in the spyware's backend code. This backdoor allowed for arbitrary PHP code execution through the use of cookies, raising questions about its origin—whether it was placed by pcTattletale itself as a backdoor or a threat actor. The hacker later updated the defaced site to share a video, claiming it as footage of the pcTattletale's founder attempts to restore the site. It took over 20 hours for the defaced website to be taken down, with the pcTattletale’s service continuing to send screenshots to the S3 bucket until Amazon officially locked down the spyware service's AWS account. [caption id="attachment_70324" align="alignnone" width="1206"] Source: ericdaigle.ca[/caption] Following the official lockdown of the site's AWS infrastucture, security researcher Eric Daigle, expanded his earlier limited disclosure with step-by-step exploit of the stated flaw. He noted that while the site's attacker exploited an unrelated flaw, it was about as equally trivial in it's complexity.

Victims Affected by pcTattletale Spyware Data Leak

The pcTattletale data leak is particularly alarming as several organizations employed the tool to monitor employees and clients, exposing confidential information across various sectors, such as banks, law firms, educational institutes, healthcare providers, and even government agencies. Notable instances of victims affected by the data breach as stated by security researcher maia crimew who explored the incident and shared data in a blog article, include:

• Hotels leaking guest information such as personal data and credit card details.
• Law firms exposing lawyer-client communications and client bank-routing information
• A bank revealing confidential client data
• Educational institutes such as schools and childcare centers monitoring employees or students, revealing personal data.
• Healthcare providers exposing patient information.
• Palestinian government agency employee monitored.
• The HR department of a Boeing supplier revealing personal information of employees .
• Tech companies secretly installing pcTattletale on employee devices suspected of wrongdoing, exposing internal systems and source code.
• A bug bounty hunter who installed the software for pentesting, then immediately tried to uninstall it.

Concerningly, the spyware was also offered as a way for parents and spouses to maintain tabs over their children and partners respectively, potentially exposing this information in the resulting breach. [caption id="attachment_70278" align="alignnone" width="1920"] Source: maia.crimew.gay[/caption] Given the wide range of affected companies and the significant security lapses, security researcher maia crimew noted that pcTattletale could face severe repercussions, possibly leading to a cessation of its operations as the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had previously ordered other US stalkerware developers to cease operations following breaches, with pcTattletale’s case poised for similar consequences. The widespread misuse and systemic security failures of pcTattletale highlight the dangers inherent in stalkerware software and services, as well as the urgent need for stringent regulatory oversight and robust security measures over these tools to protect the data and privacy of individuals and organizations. Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.

An independent researcher claims that commercial grade spyware tool pcTattletale was found to leak live-screen recordings/screenshots to the internet, making it accessible by anyone and not just the app's intended users. The pcTattletale stalkerware sees wide usage and has been discovered on hotel guest check-in computers, corporate systems and computers employed by law firms across the United States. The app promotes itself with parents, spouses/partners and enterprises with the promise of discrete instant real-time monitoring and easy installation.

pcTattletale Stalkerware Reportedly Leaks Screen Recordings

The pcTattletale spyware tool primarily focuses on advertising itself towards parents concerned over the social media usage of their children and businesses aiming to monitor employees, claiming to offer a window into the online world of children and disruptions to the daily workflow of employees. The tool is available for installation on both Windows and Android operating systems. While the site claims this tracking is safe, Eric Daigle, an independent security researcher claims to have discovered a flaw in the spyware's API that allows attackers to obtain the most recent screen capture on devices with the tool installed. Reached by the Cyber Express Team, Daigle shed some additional details on the purported vulnerability. The researcher said the tool allows users to sign up on the website, after which they are granted custom .exe or .apk files to install on the target's device. The customized file is hardcoded with the users' credentials, Daigle said, simplifying the installation process to essentially two clicks, with the only real other input the acceptance of permission requests required to successfully capture the screen. After the installation process, the spyware's user can access their accounts on the website to trigger or access screen captures. However, Daigle said the recordings he observed weren't a video file but static screenshots taken a few seconds apart, which are stitched together and played in the form of .GIF file to produce the desired recording of the target. Daigle said many U.S. hotels, corporate computers and at least two law firms appeared to be compromised and vulnerable to the flaw. However, the researcher expressed his desire to keep further details about victims anonymous for privacy purposes, along with details on exploiting the flaw to prevent potential attackers from taking advantage. However, the researcher was unclear if the software was installed by corporate owners, as advertised as a use case on the pcTattletale website, or if the installation was done by other actors. The researcher highlighted the serious consequences and potential impact of leaking live screen recordings, such as the leak of sensitive personal information, financial information, or the capture of passwords. The researcher said he had contacted the spyware vendor about the vulnerability but was ignored. He indicated that he would be ready to do a full write-up of the flaw once it had been patched. The pcTattletale site appeared to be down at the time of publishing this article

Spyware/Stalkerware Tools Remain a Major Concern

Spyware tools pose serious inherent risks aside from their intended purposes, as they could be exploited to violate the privacy of all kinds of individuals or groups. In 2023, researchers observed a Spanish spyware vendor's tools employing multiple zero-days and n-days in its exploit chain, and delivering the spyware module through the use of one-time links in SMS messages. These tools were used against targets in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Last month, Apple issued notifications to users in 92 different countries to alert them of mercenary spyware attacks. In the same month, the United States government issued several visa restrictions on individuals identified with being connected to or profiting from the usage/proliferation of commercial spyware. In its notice, the U.S. government cited its concerns over the usage of these apps to facilitate human rights abuses or counter-intelligence efforts as justification for the issue of these restrictions. Several of these concerns are also shared by privacy-advocating individuals, groups such as the Coalition Against Stalkerware and non-profit organizations such as the U.S. National Cybersecurity Alliance. The National Cybersecurity Alliance defines the use of these tools against targets as a form of abuse on its Stay Safe Online website. Media Disclaimer: This report is based on internal and external research obtained through various means. The information provided is for reference purposes only, and users bear full responsibility for their reliance on it. The Cyber Express assumes no liability for the accuracy or consequences of using this information.

Every relationship has its disagreements. Who takes out the trash and washes the dishes? Who plans the meals and writes out the grocery list? And when is it okay to start tracking one another’s location?  

Location sharing is becoming the norm between romantic partners—50% of people valued location sharing in their relationships, according to recent research from Malwarebytes—and plenty of couples have found ways to track one another’s location, with consent, in a respectful and transparent way.

But, as a cybersecurity, privacy, and identity protection company, Malwarebytes is concerned with risk, and location sharing carries significant risks within many types of relationships.

There are new relationships in which the rules around privacy and sharing are still being agreed upon, old relationships in which power imbalances are deeply entrenched, and, of course, abusive relationships in which non-consensual tracking and surveillance are used as levers of control.

As a company—and not a relationship counselor—Malwarebytes cannot endorse any reasons for location sharing between romantic partners. But Malwarebytes can provide guidance on what safe location sharing looks like, including a requirement for consent.

Importantly, Malwarebytes can also remind readers about one simple, often-forgotten fact in this conversation: You don’t have to engage in location sharing if you do not want to.

It really is as simple as that. Do not agree to location sharing in your relationship if:

• You are being pressured, coerced, or harassed into sharing your location.
• You do not trust or feel comfortable sharing your location with your partner.  
• You do not want to.

As the reasons for location sharing are valid for many couples, the reasons against it are just as valid, too. You have the right to determine the rules in your own relationship, and that includes the digital decisions that impact your feelings of privacy, safety, and trust.

Safety, security, and convenience

According to research conducted last year by Malwarebytes, location tracking among partners is popular in North America—and even more popular amongst younger generations.

When polling more than 1,000 people about their attitudes and behaviors around online privacy and cybersecurity, a full 50% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that “monitoring my spouse’s/significant other’s online activity and/or location makes me feel they are safer.”

Similarly, 42% agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that “being able to track my spouse’s/significant other’s location when they are away is extremely important to me.” This sentiment was higher amongst Gen Z—49% felt the same way compared to the general population.

As to why location tracking has become so popular, there is little doubt. It’s about safety (or, at least, the feeling of it).

On Reddit, the question of location tracking between partners is frequently posed and is just as frequently answered: “I think it should be fine for safety reasons,” said one user in a the most popular response to a thread.

In writing for the media platform Her Campus, one Pennsylvania State University student said that, if she already shares her location with her friends for safety, “why would I not share it with someone I am involved with romantically?”

For some of the editorial staff at the healthy living brand Poosh, location sharing also provided convenience.  

“If I want to call my boyfriend for something, sometimes I’ll check his location first (if he’s at the office, for example, I won’t call),” wrote Erika Harwood, managing editor. “Or if he tells me he’s on his way home and it seems to be taking unusually long, it’s easier to just check his location and see if he’s stuck in traffic.”

Harwood continued:

“Basically, it all boils down to me trying to eliminate as many phone calls from my day as possible.”

What these explanations all share is purpose and consent. The people featured here have told their partners about location sharing, and they have identified specific reasons to engage in this practice. Because of this, these situations are hardly cause for alarm.

What Malwarebytes hopes to draw attention to, however, are starkly different situations.

Coercion, control, and crisis

Location “sharing” implies two partners who consensually share their locations with one another. But as Malwarebytes discovered last year, location “sharing” isn’t the only activity that some people engage in—it’s also location spying.

According to the same survey last year, 41% of all people admitted to monitoring their partner in some way without their partner’s permission.

That includes 16% of people who non-consensually “tracked my spouse’s/significant other’s location through an app or Bluetooth tracker (like Apple AirTags, Tile, Find My)” and 13% who non-consensually “installed monitoring software/apps on spouse’s/significant other’s devices (e.g., Life360).”

The harms here are obvious.

Non-consensual location tracking in a relationship is a clear invasion of privacy. It puts sensitive information into one partner’s hands without the other partner knowing it, and the nature of the information itself can be used to harass and stalk someone—especially after a breakup.

Non-consensual location tracking is also present in domestic abuse, particularly in instances where one partner is being spied upon with the use of “stalkerware” apps. And while those who deploy these types of invasive apps are not guaranteed to be physically abusive against their partners, several documented cases highlight the risk.

As Danielle Citron, professor of law at UVA, wrote back in 2015 about what she called “cyber stalking apps”:

“A woman fled her abuser who was living in Kansas. Because her abuser had installed a cyber stalking app on her phone, her abuser knew that she had moved to Elgin, Illinois. He tracked her to a shelter and then a friend’s home where he assaulted her and tried to strangle her. In another case, a woman tried to escape her abusive husband, but because he had installed a stalking app on her phone, he was able to track down her and her children. The man murdered his two children. In 2013, a California man, using a spyware app, tracked a woman to her friend’s house and assaulted her.”

These cases may sound extreme, but they should not be ignored. They reveal that it isn’t location sharing itself which is harmful, but rather that harmful relationships will lead to harmful forms of location tracking.

Be sure that, if you do engage in location sharing, it is with someone who you trust, on both of your agreed terms, and in a way that you can turn off the location sharing at any point in the future.

What’s the answer?

Your real-time location is extraordinarily sensitive information, and as such, access to it should be understood as a privilege, not a right. No romantic partner has a “right” to your location just because their previous partners practiced location sharing. No romantic partner should coerce or harass you into location sharing. And no, the refusal to share your location, at any stage of the relationship, is not a “red flag.”

If you do decide to share your location with your partner, be sure to follow these guidelines:

• Have an open conversation about location sharing with one another. You must obtain consent from your partner if you’re going to share your locations. Spying on your partner’s location without their consent is a breach of trust.
• Have a reason why you’re engaging in location sharing. Many problems in a relationship will not be solved by location sharing. Have a firm reason why you want to share locations and what value it will provide. If you do not have a good reason, you may not need location sharing at all.
• Set up rules about location sharing. Location sharing can be enabled on a case-by-case basis for, say, music festivals, vacations, or solo hiking trips. It can also be enabled between partners indefinitely.
• Check in periodically about whether it is working. Just because you agreed to location sharing a year ago does not mean you cannot revisit the topic. See how location sharing feels and then see if you still want it later in your relationship.

As every couple has its own rules and behaviors for success, there is no single answer to whether you should share your location with your partner. You know your partner—and yourself—best to answer this question. Be safe, whatever option you choose.

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We don’t just report on threats—we remove them

Cybersecurity risks should never spread beyond a headline. Keep threats off your devices by downloading Malwarebytes today.