GOOGLE and Samsung phones could be hijacked by hackers – allowing crooks to take photos and record video from afar.

Hundreds of millions of handsets are believed to be affected by the dangerous and widespread flaw.

2 Google has admitted that its phones have been affected by a dangerous hacking bug Credit: Getty - Contributor

Cyber-experts say the bug let hackers track your phone's location and even record your phone calls automatically.

Phone owners are now being urged to update their handsets and apps to the latest versions, to stave off hack attacks.

The bug was exposed by cybersecurity firm Checkmarx, who described the hack as "dangerous and malicious".

Google has confirmed that the exploit exists, and that users will need to update their phones to stay safe.

2 Even Samsung phone owners are being urged to update their handsets immediately

The attack worked by users downloading a rogue app from the Google Play Store.

This app would be disguised as a normal piece of software, like a weather app or selfie camera.

But once installed, the app would hijack the official Google or Samsung camera apps to snoop on you.

"We appreciate Checkmarx bringing this to our attention and working with Google and Android partners to coordinate disclosure," a Google spokesperson told The Sun.

"The issue was addressed on impacted Google devices via a Play Store update to the Google Camera Application in July 2019.

"A patch has also been made available to all partners."

Samsung has also confirmed that its phones are affected by the issue.

According to the researchers, the bug gives hackers terrifying access to your private life.

Hackers could take photos and record videos using your phones.

They could also collect all of the location tags for the photos you've taken, and locate your phone on a global map.

The hack is possible in "stealth mode", letting cybercrooks silence your phone while it takes photos and records videos.

And hackers could even automatically record footage during your video calls – and audio from phone conversations.

How to stay safe – the official advice Here's what cybersecurity expert David Kennefick, of Edgescan, had to say... Only download applications from the official app stores

Downloading and installing applications from third-parties is not advisable, and even when installing from the official app stores you should be diligent on what permissions an application has

Be vigilant with your applications, these should be routinely reviewed and updated based on your usage

Be careful with which permissions you are granting applications. A flashlight application should not need access to your contacts or the ability to send SMS

Make sure applications are updated. Always keeping your devices up to date and using the latest safe versions is the most robust strategy for ensuring that any adware/spyware which may have been accidentally introduced gets removed

"This is the worst-case scenario for many people, myself included," said cybersecurity expert David Kennefick, at Edgescan.

"The thoughts of somebody being able to record every moment of my life via an exploit on my smartphone really instills the "tinfoil hat" mentality.

"This exploit seems to be limited but none the less it is part of the way there.

"There is no silver bullet for mitigating such a vulnerability other than dropping your phone down a well."

It's not clear if other Android phones beyond Google or Samsung products are affected.

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In other news, Android users were recently warned over 15 popular apps that allowed hackers to "secretly use your phone".

A WhatsApp update ‘drains battery’ on Android phones, furious users claim.

Americans mysteriously received texts from ‘dead husbands, pals and parents’ in bizarre nationwide phone bug.

And, if you have an iPhone, you should update to the new iOS 13.2.2 to boost your phone signal and app loading times.

Do you trust Google to keep your privacy safe? Let us know in the comments!

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