Android users have been warned over four apps that can access your bank details and drain your account. The security team at ThreatFabric say scammers are using apps uploaded to the Google Play Store to infect phones with the Anatsa banking trojan.
Once installed on a device, the bug takes credentials that are used to authorise users when they launch and log into mobile banking applications. If successful, it gives hackers full control of accounts including credentials, credit card details, balance and payment information plus there's the nightmare of funds being transferred without the owner ever knowing.
The latest resurgence of the bug is now targeting Android users in the UK and the USA along with phone owners in Italy, Germany and France, reports The Mirror.
Dr. Klaus Schenk, senior vice president Security and Threat Research at Verimatrix, said:“The Anatsa banking trojan employs innovative and dangerous hacking techniques such as app overlay attacks to compromise the security of top-tier banking applications. While the core attack vectors have largely remained consistent over time, the means by which the malicious code is delivered to targeted phones can vary -- such as the use of different dropper apps.
"Even outdated malware can be repurposed by attackers due to the prevalence of aging smartphones. Instead of aiming for complete access to bank accounts, attackers often seek to obtain credit card data, personal information, or control over a victim's phone for malicious purposes. This dangerous cybersecurity risk underscores the critical need for effective detection methods to identify, respond and prevent attacks on banking applications.”
Threat Fabric says that it has seen five new apps appear on the Play Store in four months posing as PDF reader software. One, named PDF Viewer - Reader & Editor, was downloaded over 10,000 times before its deletion.
All of the infected apps have since been removed by Google but if you think you have downloaded any PDF software this year it would be wise to check that the app was from an official source.
It's also worth checking all applications before installing them as some of the software banned from the Play Store has made a return a few days or months later.
Here's the full list of apps banned by Google
• PDF Reader - Edit & View PDF
• PDF Reader & Editor
• All Document Reader & Editor
• All Document Reader and Viewer
