A WhatsApp malware called “WhatsApp Pink” has now been upgraded, as its developers have added the ability to automatically reply to Telegram, Viber and Skype messages victims’
WhatsApp Pink is a fake app that was first discovered this week and presents itself as a “pink” themed version of the legitimate app. The “infected” app contains malicious code that allows attackers to compromise a device and take full control of it. Notably, most of the “infections” were reported by WhatsApp users in India.
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Security researcher Rajshekhar Rajaharia recently discovered that WhatsApp Pink can be distributed via group chat messages that contain download links. The link shared via group messages leads to a page where visitors can download the WhatsApp Pink APK (WhatsappPink.apk).
Earlier this year, Lukas Stefanko, a malware researcher at ESET, discovered an Android malware with worm-like capabilities, WhatApp Pink, which spread via WhatsApp chat messages.
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Stefanko said: “This updated version of the trojan not only sends automatic replies to messages exchanged on WhatsApp, but also to messages received on other instant messaging apps, which could lead to its wider spread. The trojan sends these automatic replies to any message a user receives on apps such as WhatsApp, WhatsApp Business, Signal, Skype, Viber and Telegram.”
Once the application is installed on the device, when the user clicks on its icon, it disappears claiming that it was never installed.
Additionally, ESET stated in a related post the following: "The victim will then receive a message, to which they must respond, in order to inadvertently cause the malware to spread further."
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Experts from ESET estimate that the application is under development, could be a "test version", while more malicious variants could be developed in the future.
The good news in this whole case is that Android users who have installed the WhatsApp Pink app can simply uninstall it from the “Settings” submenu and the “App Manager”.
Information source: securityaffairs.co
