Latest coverage for Android

EU Forces Google to Give Rival AI Services Android Access and to Share Search DataGoogle sounded security alarms after the European Commission ordered it to open up deep Android functionality to rival artificial intelligence providers, and also to give third-party search providers access to Google Search data. The orders enforce the Digital Markets Act.

Malware Targets Banks, Crypto Platforms and Social MediaNewly surfaced Android-based banking Trojan gives threat actors near-total control over infected devices, letting them steal user credentials for direct access to financial accounts, says researchers. Rokarolla tricks users into side-loading malicious versions of popular, high traffic apps.

On Device Controls Spark Privacy, Security ConcernsThe British government is demanding that smartphone giants Apple and Google ensure underage users of iOS and Android devices can no longer take, send or view nude photographs.

Researchers Identify 455 Malicious Apps Tied to Global Malvertising CampaignCybercriminals used malicious Android apps to funnel unwitting users to an ad fraud scam that generated up to 659 million daily bid requests, reports Human Security. The scam has spanned 455 malicious Android apps and is linked to 183 threat actor-owned command-and-control domains.

Website Popular in Korean Ethnic Enclave in China Hosts Apps Laced With a BackdoorA North Korean hacking group has been spying on a Korean ethnic enclave in China by infiltrating the Android apps of a regional gaming platform that hosts digital card and board games. Researchers attributed the supply-chain attack to a threat actor that Eset tracks as ScarCruft.

Malware-as-a-Service Operations Favors Russian-Speaking CustomersAn emerging remote access Trojan targeting Android devices in Spanish-speaking nations is propagating fraudulent advertisements as an initial access point on Meta-owned applications.

'Cyber Android RAT' Can Capture WhatsApp History, Crypto Seed PhrasesCybercriminals are advertising on criminal hacking online boards an Android remote access Trojan that can steal victims' WhatsApp conversation history, surveil them in real time and extract cryptocurrency seed phrases for the low price of about $500 a month.

Researchers Say PromptSpy Automates Persistence on Infected DevicesA newly discovered Android malware strain, "PromptSpy," is using Google's Gemini generative artificial intelligence model to automate part of its persistence mechanism, marking what researchers describe as the second known case of AI-driven mobile malware.

New Trojan May Soon Be Offered for Sale to Criminal UndergroundSecurity researchers warn of "Massiv," an Android Trojan - disguised as an IPTV app - targeting users who sideload streaming apps. The malware enables screen capture, overlays and credential theft - and may soon be marketed on criminal underground forums as malware as a service.

Also, SmarterMail Flaw, Nike Breach Probe, Empire Market Co-Creator Pleads GuiltyThis week, researchers exposed an Android RAT abusing Hugging Face. Attackers exploited a SmarterMail flaw. Automakers raised cyber spending. CISA flagged a VMware bug. Microsoft patched Office. An Empire Market co-creator pleaded guilty. Nike probed a breach.

Also: 700M Euro Fraud Busted, 2 Arrested in Crypto-Linked Killing CaseThis week, Ledger flagged physical attack risks to Android hot wallets, a 700M euro fraud network was dismantled, a suspect in the $243M Genesis theft was reportedly detained and a member of a $263M crypto scam pleaded guilty. Two men arrested in a Vienna crypto-linked killing.

Also, North Korean Hackers Remotely Wipe Android DevicesThis week, the U.K. government probed Chinese electric buses for a kill switch, APT37 abused Google's Find Hub in South Korea, Conduent said its January hack will cost it more, Hyundai disclosed a breach and Patch Tuesday. OWASP added two new categories to its Top 10 web application vulnerabilities.

Trojan Poised for Use in Campaigns Across the GlobeAndroid malware advertised as "Herodotus" on cybercrime forums injects a randomized pause of up to three seconds whenever a hacker bypasses the keyboard on an infected device to enter account credentials. Systems that rely on indicators such as input timing may wave through the transaction.

Fake Messaging Apps Use Previously Undocumented MalwareAndroid spyware campaigns using previously undocumented spyware masquerade as upgrades or plugins for secure messaging apps Signal and ToTok, warn researchers. The two campaigns appear to target residents of the United Arab Emirates.

Steganography, Mobile Marketing Attribution, Code Obfuscation Deployed for Ad FraudA cybercrime crew using Android mobile apps to conduct advertising fraud took unusual pains to hide its activity, concealing malicious code in downloadable digital images and holding off from infecting the subset of users who organically found their apps through the Google Play store.

Also: PowerShell-Based Cryptojacking Attack, a Malvertising CampaignThis week, El Salvador split its bitcoin reserve, an Indian court jailed cops for crypto kidnapping, a PowerShell-based cryptojacking attack, a malvertising campaign targeted Android users, a Venus Protocol hack, malware hid in npm packages using smart contracts for evasion and Bunni DEX exploit.

Over 1 Million Infected Off-Brand Android Devices Pose Global Fraud RiskA China-based botnet operation called BADBOX 2.0 has infected more than 1 million off-brand Android smart devices globally. In an alert, the FBI advised consumers to check their home networks for suspicious activity that could be linked to multiple fraud schemes.

Web-to-App Pipeline Uses Meta Pixel and Yandex MetricaAmerican social media giant Meta and Russian counterpart Yandex each found methods to break through privacy protections enabled by Android users, say academics in newly disclosed research. A Meta spokesperson in a prepared statement said it stopped the tracking "upon becoming aware of the concerns."

Also: Braiscompany Execs Sentenced, Addressing Bitget's Trading AnomalyEvery week, ISMG rounds up cybersecurity incidents in digital assets. This week, stolen KiloEx funds returned, Braiscompany execs sentenced, Bitget trading anomaly, Bybit case update, SEC's new chair, eXch shuttering, Oregon attorney general sued Coinbase, new Android malware and bug in XRP Ledger.

Attack Combines Social Engineering and Card Emulation to Execute Real-Time TheftHackers are using Chinese-speaking Android malware-as-a-service SuperCard X to carry out near-field communication relay attacks, siphoning payment card data and executing live point of sale and ATM transactions. Victims receive spoofed SMS or WhatsApp alerts purporting to originate from their bank.