Security Journalism
Indonesia Hit by Android Banking App-Cloning Campaign
The GoldFactory threat group exploits the Android Work Profile feature to deliver the Gigabud Trojan, while Mantax Otax spreads separately.
The GoldFactory threat group exploits the Android Work Profile feature to deliver the Gigabud Trojan, while Mantax Otax spreads separately.
A new Android malware strain called Mantax Otax combines ransomware and spyware capabilities to encrypt files, steal sensitive data, and spam and harass victims. [...]
A lot of this week’s security news has the same awkward answer to one question: “Why was that allowed to work?” An extension asks for access and takes too much. A trusted service becomes part of a phishing chain. An old bug still gets results. An exposed system stays exposed. A package looks useful right up until it isn’t. Different stories, same basic problem: the path in was often already
Bad actors are misusing Google Play's Early Access program to push deceptive apps that claim to offer money, rewards, casino winnings, and premium content. Early Access apps are apps that haven't been released on the official Android app marketplace. The main idea behind the program is for developers to solicit user feedback for new applications or features they may be working on before their
Deceptive apps in Early Access are being used by dishonest developers for their own benefit. The post Deceptive Android Apps Exploit Google Play Early Access to Evade Reviews appeared first on SecurityWeek.
The Gigabud banking trojan now installs a second Android app that creates a work profile on an infected phone and drops a tampered banking app inside it, security firm Group-IB said in a report published on September 9. A work profile is a separate space that Android typically reserves for employer apps, and what's inside it is kept separate from everything in the personal space. That
The security updates resolve critical flaws across Android’s Framework, System, and Kernel components. The post Android’s September 2026 Updates Patch 180 Vulnerabilities appeared first on SecurityWeek.
How the Gigabud Android banking trojan abuses Shelter, an open-source app cloner, and what that means for banks, users, and defenders.
104Critical860Important0Moderate0LowMicrosoft addresses 964 CVEs, smashing July’s release as the largest Patch Tuesday release. This month’s updates include patches for two zero-days that were exploited in the wild.Microsoft patched a record 964 CVEs in its September 2026 Patch Tuesday release, with 104 rated critical and 860 rated as important.This month’s update includes patches for:.NET.NET and Visual StudioASP.NET CoreActive Directory Certificate Services (AD CS)Active Directory Domain Serv…
Researchers at the security firm Calif have built a worm that takes over a WeChat account via an incoming call and demonstrated it spreading among three test phones. The person being called does not have to answer or touch their phone for it to work, but the caller must already be one of their WeChat contacts. Calif reported the flaw to Tencent in July and says the company has since
Cybersecurity researchers have disclosed details of a new Android banking trojan called StreamRat that was promoted to Spanish-speaking users through a fake television-streaming campaign on Meta and can give operators near-complete control of infected devices. ThreatFabric said the campaign's advertisement focused on Spain and reached an estimated 570,950 Meta accounts in the European Union
Checking phone to see image of digital credential
Google on Thursday announced new network security protections in Android 17 to bolster connection privacy, address cellular vulnerabilities, and safeguard the privacy of users' home networks. Topping the list is support for Encrypted Client Hello (ECH), a privacy standard that prevents networks from eavesdropping on which websites a user is visiting. "This new privacy standard works in tandem
Android bot with a shield protecting the network
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. [...]
Threat actors behind a notorious click-fraud botnet have set their sights on vehicle infotainment modules and are abusing legitimate functionality to spread infections.
Meta on Tuesday announced a set of WhatsApp account security features, including support for multiple passkeys to a single account to help users with both iOS and Android devices sign into their accounts using the phishing-resistant method. The tech giant said more than 1 billion people use a passkey to log into WhatsApp. Support for passkeys was first introduced in Android in October 2023,
The latest version of the Android malware has new features that expand its global reach and put more than users' financial applications at risk.
A new strain of malware is being used to infect Android-based car systems, turning the devices into part of a botnet.
The ToxicPanda Android malware has evolved with new malicious functionality, expanding its targeting to 349 applications and adding support for 167 remote commands. [...]
A new round of the weekly Security Affairs newsletter has arrived! Every week, the best security articles from Security Affairs are free in your email box. Enjoy a new round of the weekly SecurityAffairs newsletter, including international press. ToxicPanda 2.0 Gets a Major Upgrade, Expanding Attacks Across 16 Countries Malware Hijacks Android Car Head Units […]
ToxicPanda 2.0 targets 349 financial apps and abuses Android Wireless Debugging to gain deeper device access and steal banking credentials. ToxicPanda used to be a Europe-focused nuisance targeting a manageable list of banks. That version is gone. Zimperium’s zLabs team just documented ToxicPanda 2.0, and the numbers alone tell the story: 349 targeted financial institutions […]
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. [...]
Malware is abusing car infotainment updates to install proxy software, turning Android head units into nodes for the BADBOX network. Kaspersky researchers found something in June 2026 that made them stop and look twice: an Android app with no interface at all, installed like any ordinary app but making zero effort to disguise itself as […]
Cybersecurity researchers have flagged a new malware family that's specifically designed to infect Android-based vehicle head unit firmware developed by DoFun. Kaspersky, which discovered the threat in June 2026, said the end goal of the malware is to serve a multi-stage downloader to enable ad fraud and creation of a proxy botnet. "The malware spread through the built-in updaters of
Manic Android malware combines banking fraud and spyware, using a Bluetooth relay to steal data even when devices are offline. ThreatFabric’s Mobile Threat Intelligence team has identified a new Android malware, dubbed Manic, which has been active in the wild since at least February 2026. The researchers state that the malware is still under development […]
A new Android threat codenamed Manic has been observed actively targeting Ukrainian banks, government and identity services, and messaging applications, as well as Russian and European financial institutions, global fintech and cryptocurrency services, and military-focused communications. "Manic sits at the intersection of Android banking malware and mobile spyware, combining financial-fraud
Cybersecurity researchers have shed light on an updated version of ToxicPanda (aka TgToxic) that comes with "significant enhancements," including a set of 167 remote commands and expands its targeting footprint globally. Zimperium zLabs, in a Wednesday report, said the Android malware also features a PIN harvesting workflow targeting more than 140 banking and cryptocurrency applications.
A new Android malware named Manic targeting users in multiple European countries has a fallback data exfiltration mechanism that uses nearby infected devices. [...]
Researchers found that by combining two vulnerabilities, they could take over an Android device by delivering a payload and getting the victim to answer their phone.