New mobile malware designed to spy on calls, texts, and other communications is targeting Android users through a fake chat app.
The Trojan malware, dubbed CallerSpy, has been discovered and analyzed by security researchers at Trend Micro, who believe the malware attacks are part of a cyber espionage campaign.
Smartphones are a favorite target for hackers for cyber espionage purposes, not only because the devices contain vast amounts of information, but also because users always have them with them.
Researchers initially uncovered the threat in May of this year, after spotting a fake ad on Google and a chat app called Chatrious. However, shortly after its discovery, the website hosting the APKdisappeared.
It returned in October, this time hosting a new malicious app called Apex App. Like Chatrious, the new app is a front for the CallerSpy malware.
Despite being advertised as a chat application, CallerSpy apps do not contain chat capabilities. They are described as “packed with spying features.”.
Once downloaded and launched, it will connect to a command-and-control server from which the malware receives commands.
CallerSpy's malicious capabilities include collecting all call, text messages, contact list, and files on the device, the ability to use the phone's microphone to record audio, and taking snapshots of user activity. All information is uploaded to the hackers.
The malicious website hosting the CallerSpy malware is designed to look like Google, which includes copyright information. Sure, a quick inspection of the URL shows that the “Google” domain has an extra “O” than it should. However, in some mobile browsers, this information doesn’t always appear. The domain was registered in February, but there’s no indication of who is responsible for creating it.
It should be noted that it is not yet clear what the hacker -creator 's motivation is or who he is trying to target, as there is no indication that the malware has affected any users.
Although so far, CallerSpy files have been designed to target Android, the design of the fake chat app download suggests that there are also plans to create versions for Apple and Windows devices, which may indicate that a much larger campaign is planned in the future.
Researchers recommend installing security software on phones to protect themselves from attacks, while users themselves should be careful about what they download while keeping their device patched and updated.
