It is important that we warn our readers to watch out for this Android malware. According to analysts, a new variant of the Android virus SpyNote is spreading quickly.

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The most recent version of the Android spyware SpyNote (also known as SpyMax) is named CypherRat. It was sold and only accessible through paid Telegram channels. The tool offers a wide range of functionality. This includes account theft for banking apps, remote access, GPS tracking, and device status and activity updates.

Experts believe that the malware’s open distribution on GitHub and subsequent adoption by a large number of threat actors, who are now targeting banks like HSBC and Deutsche Bank and disseminating fake WhatsApp, Facebook, and other apps on the Google Play Store, are to blame for the sudden increase.

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Watch out for this Android malware: growing danger

From August 2021 to October 2022, it was believed that the malware’s original authors would be selling it. However, following a number of scam occurrences in which scammers pretended to be the project’s creators and sold fake software, the authors decided to publish the source code on GitHub.

The source code was thereafter likely adopted by a large number of threat actors. Which led to an increase in infections. ThreatFabric analysts who have been monitoring CypherRat think the infections may get significantly worse. Especially over the next few weeks and months.

In addition to the features listed above, ThreatFabric has discovered that CypherRat is also capable of keylogging. As well as sharing GPS and network location tracking data, stealing Facebook and Google account credentials, extracting Google Authenticator codes, and recording and sending videos using the camera API from compromised endpoints.

SpyNote needs access to the Android Accessibility Service in order to function. And this is still the best way to determine whether an app is malicious or not.

Although the researchers have not yet identified the precise pathways of dissemination, it is highly likely that CypherRat is disseminated via phishing websites and unofficial Android software repositories.