InterApp: The box that can steal social media passwords, emails and Dropbox files from your phone

An Israeli defence technology firm has invented a box that is able to quietly steal a person's emails, social media account passwords, Dropbox folder contents and more, as long as the user's phone is nearby and its Wi-Fi transmitter is activated.

Rayzone Group, which makes intelligence systems for governments and intelligence agencies, has developed the InterApp system, able to remotely access pretty much everything of value from your smartphone.

This includes your email address, email password and the emails in your inbox; social media passwords and posts; Dropbox password and contents; your name, age, gender, address, education; your phone contact list; what locations you have travelled to with your phone; and information on your phone such as its unique IMEI number and MAC address.

According to the InterApp brochure, the router-like box is able to collect all this information from hundreds of mobile devices at the same time. It has a wide geographic reach, meaning that once the box is installed on a wall or pillar, it can collect data on thousands of people walking by in areas such as an airport, shopping mall or city district.

The user does not have to be connected to an airport Wi-Fi hotspot or surfing the web on their phone – as long as their phone has Wi-Fi enabled, the box can siphon their data. Rayzone Group claims that the solution apparently leaves no trace that it spied on the user that can be detected by forensics.

InterApp works with a variety of smartphone platforms. The screenshot below from the InterApp dashboard shows that it works with iOS devices, such as iPhones and iPads, as well as Android smartphones and tablets.

Rayzone Group claims that the solution can be deployed with minimum training and no technical skills, and it can be added to existing building infrastructure without any changes being made. As it's a solution targeted at intelligence agencies, there are no specs or technical details on how it works, so it could be magic, for all we know.

However, given the firm comes from Israel, which is known for its cutting-edge defence technology used by many governments around the world on the sly, it would not be surprising if the technology was indeed possible.

Motherboard Vice had a go at contacting the firm for comment and was told by RayZone Group's Ron Zilka: "I don't answer to any journalist. All the equipment is only for governments. I wish you all the best. I got your email, and I wish not to respond."

IBTimes UK tried to contact Rayzone Group but its main contact number has been disconnected, and it seems that its Facebook page has been disabled or made private. The website and Twitter account are still up and running, however, so perhaps the company is just dodging journalists for now.

Security researchers have long warned that we should stop leaving Wi-Fi enabled on our phones when we're out and about – perhaps now would be a good time to start heeding this advice. Just imagine what spies and cybercriminals could do with all this information.