Cybercriminals take full advantage to steal people’s personal information and money from their banks. Their main tactic is to subtly disguise the malware as legitimate programs or services and implant it so that it can evade detection for as long as possible by cybersecurity experts. Due to recent waves of programs that comprise hazardous viruses and have engaged in such malicious activities, many Android users have gotten notifications.

A secretive and hidden malware operation that managed to remain undetected on mobile devices all around the world for more than six months was recently discovered by Bitdefender’s cybersecurity researchers. Further investigations into the matter revealed that the malware campaign was specifically designed to actively distribute spyware on Android cellphones in order to make massive money.

Further study found that this specific threat campaign used a method to redirect users toward other malware categories. These include banking Trojans, which can steal the sensitive financial data of victims. The fact that these malicious apps mimicked reputable, well-known apps that were released on the Play Store is troubling. These apps, which are modified versions of the original programs with their original characteristics, are referred to by researchers as “modded” apps.

Apps That Are Detected With The Malware

Game cracks
Games with unlocked features
Free VPN
Fake videos
Fake tutorials
YouTube without ads
TikTok without ads
Cracked utility programs: weather, pdf viewers, etc
Fake security programs

What Should You To Do Protect Your Devices?

To protect the security of your device, the cybersecurity firm has urged you to implement a robust security solution that precisely detects these attacks.
Furthermore, they strongly advise avoiding installing software from third-party app stores and websites because doing so significantly increases the risk of having your smartphone’s security compromised.
Before installing software, even from a reputable source, always check the developer’s credentials.