SparkCat, a malicious software development kit (SDK), was found in apps distributed through both Google Play and Apple’s App Store. It used optical character recognition (OCR) to search images saved in a phone’s gallery for selected text, with cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrases a principal target in Kaspersky’s Android findings. The available evidence does not verify that millions of people were infected.
What SparkCat did
Kaspersky reported that SparkCat’s Android activity began at least as early as March 2024. The implant could receive keyword lists or dictionaries from a control server, then use OCR to identify relevant text in gallery images and select images for exfiltration. Kaspersky described cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrases as the campaign’s primary Android target. That finding does not establish that every version stole passwords or payment details, or that it captured every screenshot. Kaspersky’s technical report describes the implant and its operation.
The same implant was also found in iOS apps distributed through Apple’s App Store. Kaspersky characterized it as the first known OCR malware to appear in Apple’s official marketplace. Its presence there shows that official-store distribution did not prevent this particular malicious SDK from reaching users; it does not mean all App Store or Google Play apps are unsafe, or that all iPhone and Android users were exposed.
What is known about the scale
The “millions of users” wording is not established by the available incident reporting. HotHardware reported more than 242,000 Google Play downloads, but that is a secondary-source download figure—not a count of unique people, confirmed infections, or total downloads across Android and iOS. Downloads alone cannot show how many devices were compromised or how many users had sensitive images collected. HotHardware’s report is the source of that figure.
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Kaspersky separately recorded 33,265,112 mobile attacks involving malware, adware, or unwanted software in 2024 in its broad mobile-threat reporting. That total covers Kaspersky Security Network detections, not SparkCat victims, so it should not be used to estimate this incident’s reach. Kaspersky’s 2024 mobile threat report provides the broader statistic.
Which apps and platforms were affected?
Kaspersky said apps containing SparkCat had been distributed through both Google Play and the App Store. The affected apps identified by the reporting were deleted from those stores in February 2025. Kaspersky also observed other SparkCat-containing apps circulating through unofficial sources. That is a report-dated observation, not confirmation that any particular app is available or active today.
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The sources cited here do not provide a complete, current list of affected app names or a validated device-by-device cleanup procedure. Check current notices from your app platform and a reputable security vendor before relying on a list or concluding that a particular app was involved.
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What to do if you may have installed an affected app
- Remove the app. If you suspect an installed app is one of those identified in a current security notice, uninstall it. Removing the app can stop its ongoing access through that installation, but it cannot retrieve or erase information already sent to attackers.
- Review sensitive images. Consider whether you saved cryptocurrency recovery phrases or other secrets in screenshots or other gallery images during the period you used the app.
- Protect exposed secrets. If a recovery phrase may have been photographed or exposed, treat the wallet as potentially compromised and follow guidance from the wallet provider for securing assets. Do not enter a recovery phrase into an untrusted site or app.
- Check current notices. Use up-to-date platform and security-vendor advisories to verify app names and any further steps. The reporting cited here does not establish a universal cleanup procedure for every device or variant.
What this warning does—and does not—mean
- It does mean a malicious SDK was reported in apps for Android and iOS, and its OCR behavior could search gallery images for server-specified terms.
- It does not mean millions of people are confirmed victims, every screenshot was stolen, or all users of either platform were exposed.
- It does not mean uninstalling an app reverses data exfiltration that may already have occurred.
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
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