mobile
Google to verify all Android devs to block malware on Google Play
Google is introducing a new defense for Android called ‘Developer Verification’ to block malware installations from sideloaded apps sourced from outside the official Google Play app store. For apps on Google Play, there was already a requirement for publishers to provide a D-U-N-S (Data Universal Numbering System) number, introduced on August 31, 2023. Google says this has had a notable […]
Malicious Android apps with 19M installs removed from Google Play
Seventy-seven malicious Android apps with more than 19 million installs were delivering multiple malware families to Google Play users. This malware infiltration was discovered by Zscaler’s ThreatLabs team while investigating a new infection wave with Anatsa (Tea Bot) banking trojan targeting Android devices. While most of the malicious apps (over 66%) included adware components, the most common Android […]
New Android malware poses as antivirus from Russian intelligence agency
A new Android malware posing as an antivirus tool software created by Russia’s Federal Security Services agency (FSB) is being used to target executives of Russian businesses. In a new report from Russian mobile security firm Dr. Web, researchers track the new spyware as ‘Android.Backdoor.916.origin,’ finding no links to known malware families. Among its various […]
Microsoft working on fix for ongoing Outlook email issues
Microsoft is working to resolve an Exchange Online issue causing email access problems for Outlook mobile users who use Hybrid Modern Authentication (HMA). HMA is a Microsoft Exchange Server feature that allows users to access on-premises mailboxes using authorization tokens from the cloud. Tracked under EX1137017 in the Microsoft 365 Admin Center, this known issue is caused by a recent […]
ERMAC Android malware source code leak exposes banking trojan infrastructure
The source code for version 3 of the ERMAC Android banking trojan has been leaked online, exposing the internals of the malware-as-a-service platform and the operator’s infrastructure. The code base was discovered in an open directory by Hunt.io researchers while scanning for exposed resources in March 2024. They located an archive named Ermac 3.0.zip, which contained the malware’s code, including backend, […]
Android malware Konfety uses malformed APKs to evade detection
A new variant of the Konfety Android malware emerged with a malformed ZIP structure along with other obfuscation methods that allow it to evade analysis and detection. Konfety poses as a legitimate app, mimicking innocuous products available on Google Play, but features none of the promised functionality. The capabilities of the malware include redirecting users to […]
Google reveals details on Android’s Advanced Protection for Chrome
Google is sharing more information on how Chrome operates when Android mobile users enable Advanced Protection, highlighting strong security improvements. The tech giant recently extended its Advanced Protection Program to the device level with the release of Android 16, aimed at offering a robust, holistic security posture for high-risk individuals likely to be targeted by sophisticated spyware […]
Samsung announces major security enhancements coming to One UI 8
Samsung has announced multiple data security and privacy enhancements for its upcoming Galaxy smartphones running One UI 8, its custom user interface on top of Android. Key highlights include the introduction of a system-level architecture named Knox Enhanced Encrypted Protection (KEEP), upgrades to Knox Matrix, and the addition of quantum resistance to WiFi connectivity. Keeping […]
New Android TapTrap attack fools users with invisible UI trick
A novel tapjacking technique can exploit user interface animations to bypass Android’s permission system and allow access to sensitive data or trick users into performing destructive actions, such as wiping the device. Unlike traditional, overlay-based tapjacking, TapTrap attacks work even with zero-permission apps to launch a harmless transparent activity on top of a malicious one, a behavior […]
Android malware Anatsa infiltrates Google Play to target US banks
The Anatsa banking trojan has sneaked into Google Play once more via an app posing as a PDF viewer that counted more than 50,000 downloads. The malware becomes active on the device immediately after installing the app, tracking users launching North American banking apps and serving them an overlay that allows accessing the account, keylogging, or automating transactions. According […]