mobile
Crypto-stealing apps found in Apple App Store for the first time
Android and iOS apps on the Google Play Store and Apple App Store contain a malicious software development kit (SDK) designed to steal cryptocurrency wallet recovery phrases using optical character recognition (OCR) stealers. The campaign is called “SparkCat” after the name (“Spark”) of one of the malicious SDK components in the infected apps, with developers likely […]
Google blocked 2.36 million risky Android apps from Play Store in 2024
Google blocked 2.3 million Android app submissions to the Play Store in 2024 due to violations of its policies that made them potentially risky for users. In addition, 158,000 developer accounts were banned for attempting to publish harmful apps like malware and spyware on Android’s official app store. In comparison, Google blocked 2,280,000 risky apps in 2023 and 1,500,000 […]
Signal will let you sync old messages when linking new devices
Signal is finally adding a new feature that allows users to synchronize their old message history from their primary iOS or Android devices to newly linked devices like desktops and iPads. The transfer process is fully end-to-end encrypted, ensuring privacy and data security. It will employ a QR code verification step to ensure the action […]
New Android Identity Check locks settings outside trusted locations
Google has announced a new Android “Identity Check” security feature that lock sensitive settings behind biometric authentication when outside a trusted location. The new feature is part of Anroid’s theft protection suite, which includes features like last year’s Theft Detection Lock, which is now rolling out to more Android device models. The new Identity Check feature is […]
Allstate car insurer sued for tracking drivers without permission
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Allstate and its data subsidiary Arity for unlawfully collecting, using, and selling driving data from over 45 million Americans. The two companies are accused of paying millions of dollars to app developers to embed tracking code in widely used mobile apps to gather the location […]
New FireScam Android malware poses as RuStore app to steal data
A new Android malware named ‘FireScam’ is being distributed as a premium version of the Telegram app via phishing websites on GitHub that mimick the RuStore, Russia’s app market for mobile devices. RuStore launched in May 2022 by the Russian internet group VK (VKontakte) as an alternative to Google Play and Apple’s App Store, following […]
Russian cyberspies target Android users with new spyware
Russian cyberspies Gamaredon has been discovered using two Android spyware families named ‘BoneSpy’ and ‘PlainGnome’ to spy on and steal data from mobile devices. According to Lookout, which discovered the two malware families, BoneSpy has been active since 2021, while PlainGnome emerged in 2024. Both target Russian-speaking individuals in former Soviet states. Gamaredon (aka “Shuckworm”) is […]
New EagleMsgSpy Android spyware used by Chinese police, researchers say
A previously undocumented Android spyware called ‘EagleMsgSpy’ has been discovered and is believed to be used by law enforcement agencies in China to monitor mobile devices. According to a new report by Lookout, the spyware was developed by Wuhan Chinasoft Token Information Technology Co., Ltd. and has been operational since at least 2017. Lookout presents abundant […]
New Ghost Tap attack abuses NFC mobile payments to steal money
Cybercriminals have devised a novel method to cash out from stolen credit card details linked to mobile payment systems such as Apple Pay and Google Pay, dubbed ‘Ghost Tap,’ which relays NFC card data to money mules worldwide. The tactic builds upon the methods previously deployed by mobile malware like NGate, documented by ESET in August, […]
Brave on iOS adds new “Shred” button to wipe site-specific data
Brave Browser 1.71 for iOS introduces a new privacy-focused feature called “Shred,” which allows users to easily delete site-specific mobile browsing data. Many sites use first-party cookies for paywall systems and usage limits, which technically enables user tracking across sessions and makes this data susceptible to sharing with third parties. Brave’s new Shred feature works […]