This article warns users about Android banking trojans, a type of malware that steals online banking credentials and drains accounts.
Key points:
- Prevalence: These trojans are disguised as legitimate apps and pose a serious threat to Android users, with Malwarebytes detecting over 88,500 in 2023 alone.
- Deception: They often masquerade as everyday apps like fitness trackers or QR readers or productivity or photography tools, making them difficult to identify.
- Permissions Requests: Once installed, they request permissions like accessing photos or files, but use them to steal login details.
- Sneaky Tactics: Some even hide their app icon on the home screen and download additional malware later, bypassing Google Play’s security measures.
- End Goal: Their ultimate aim is to steal your banking information and use it to make unauthorized money transfers.
The article emphasizes that vigilance is crucial, as these trojans are becoming increasingly sophisticated. It also references a recent Anatsa Trojan: https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/this-nasty-new-android-malware-can-easily-bypass-google-play-security-and-its-already-been-downloaded-thousands-of-times
Even after reading the key points it wasn’t clear “how” they manage to do that. The article is not much more detailed, but at least mentions them exploiting android’s accessibility services.
I agree with you. The article give a good warning about downloading applications in general, but hand-wave how they escalated from “file/photo” access to capturing your data. The recent Anatsa malware’s details seem to imply accessibility service. This is a Thread Fabric article about Anatsa malware: https://www.threatfabric.com/blogs/anatsa-trojan-returns-targeting-europe-and-expanding-its-reach