This Android malware could leave your wallet pretty empty

Date:
Mon, 06 Jun 2022 21:52:46 +0000

Description:
Malicious Android app dials premium numbers in the background, incurring huge expenses for the victim.

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A newly discovered mobile malware can rake up quite the phone bill for its victims, cybersecurity pros from Avast have revealed.

The antivirus company recently spotted SMSFactory, a unique malware being distributed among its Brazilian customers, with mobile users in Russia, Ukraine, Turkey, and Argentina also seem to be targeted.

SMSFactory deals damage by having the Android smartphone send phone calls and SMS messages to premium numbers. Its being distributed by unofficial
channels, meaning you wont find SMSFactory on the Play Store, but you will find it on APKMods, and PaidAPKFree, two mobile app repositories with dubious policies. Avast also says the attackers promote the app with malvertising, push notifications, various promotional pop-ups and websites, videos, and such.

Share your thoughts on Cybersecurity and get a free copy of the Hacker's Manual 2022 . Help us find how businesses are preparing for the post-Covid world and the implications of these activities on their cybersecurity plans. Enter your email at the end of this survey to get the bookazine, worth $10.99/10.99. Accessing the contacts list

Among the various permissions the app asks for, researchers have also found, is the permission to access the contact list , so its highly likely it uses the list to further expand its reach. Other requested permissions include location data, the permission to make phone calls, send and read SMS
messages, wake lock and vibrate, handle overlay, use the entire screen, track notifications, and start various activities from the background.

If these permissions werent large enough of a red flag, the Android device will also trigger a warning at installation, telling the potential victim
that the app is risky. However, many seem to have turned a blind eye to the warnings, as the app has tens of thousands of installations, Avast said. Read more

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Once installed, the app will display a message that it doesnt work or that
the service is unavailable. Given that it hides its name and icon, many users struggle to delete it, or apparently forget they have anything installed.

Still, the app continues working in the background, maintaining its
connection to the C2 server and sending an ID profile of the infected endpoint. These are the best firewall offerings around

Via: BleepingComputer



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/this-android-malware-could-leave-your-wallet-pr etty-empty/


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