android
Android gets AI defenses against messaging scams, fake calls
Google announced new AI-powered defenses against scam messages and call-forwarding abuse on Android, currently rolling out to eligible devices. The new measures aim to address the increased sophistication of scams targeting mobile users, including fraudulent bank alerts and voice-cloning attacks. “Mobile scams have evolved far beyond basic robocalls and phishing texts, turning into sophisticated operations […]
Hirudo Android malware replaces banking apps to evade security checks
A new Android malware called Hirudo steals bank account credentials by replacing legitimate banking apps with modified versions that disable security checks. Researchers identified malicious copies of eight banking apps that use a hooking engine to bypass app-signature, Accessibility, and Play Integrity checks by substituting certificate information or returning empty lists. Threat actors can use […]
Low-cost Android phones ship with residential proxy malware
A malware campaign dubbed ‘Midnight Mimosa’ has been discovered on low-cost Android smartphones that ship with malicious software embedded in their firmware, allowing attackers to silently install apps, perform ad fraud, and turn devices into residential proxies. The malware is believed to have been introduced somewhere in the device supply chain, but it remains unclear […]
New RemControl Android banking malware targets users in Europe and Canada
A new Android malware-as-a-service (MaaS) platform called RemControl is targeting users through malvertising campaigns that impersonate the TVTap IPTV application. Although the infrastructure has been active since at least May, the first samples were observed in July and contained more than 30 phishing overlays designed to steal banking credentials. Researchers at cybersecurity company Group-IB say […]
Google fined €403 million over location data privacy violations
Ireland’s Data Protection Commission (DPC) has fined Google €403 million ($463M) for multiple GDPR violations related to processing users’ location data. The agency launched an investigation in February 2020 after receiving multiple complaints from consumer rights organizations. It examined three Google features that were active during the GDPR application period from May 25, 2018, through […]
New RatHat Android malware uses AI to automate device control
A new Android malware called RatHat has been discovered, targeting users with an AI-powered subsystem that helps operators remotely navigate compromised devices. Zimperium zLabs researchers analyzed the malware and believe it is linked to threat actors from China after finding it using LLM prompts written in Chinese. The researchers say the malware is distributed through malvertising, […]
New Android malware encrypts files, steals data, and harasses victims
A new Android malware strain called Mantax Otax combines ransomware and spyware capabilities to encrypt files, steal sensitive data, and spam and harass victims. Indonesian operators distribute the malware through malicious APKs hosted outside Google Play, targeting users with phishing and social engineering messages. After installation, the malware requests permission to use the Accessibility service, which gives […]
Android 17 adds ECH support to make web browsing harder to track
Google is introducing new network security protections in Android 17 to strengthen connection privacy, address cellular vulnerabilities, and protect the privacy of users’ home networks. Android 17 adds support for Encrypted Client Hello (ECH), a new privacy standard that operates in conjunction with private DNS to hide profiling metadata, including visited domain names. ECH acts […]
ToxicPanda Android malware uses VPN permissions to block Google Play
The ToxicPanda Android malware has evolved with new malicious functionality, expanding its targeting to 349 applications and adding support for 167 remote commands. The malware now requests VPN service permissions to create a local interface that allows it to control network traffic passing through it. The feature enables ToxicPanda 2.0 to block communication from Google […]
Hackers infect Android car head units with proxy botnet malware
A supply-chain attack targeting Android-based car head units is using a legitimate device-update app to spread malware that enlists compromised devices in a proxy botnet or uses them for ad fraud. Kaspersky researchers analyzed the malware and attributed the operation to the MoYu group, a threat actor previously associated with the BadBox malware botnet. The researchers […]