"AnubisSpy" Malware Stealing photos, videos & spying on Android users

"AnubisSpy" Malware Stealing photos, videos & spying on Android users

Android has been long targeted by attackers. There have been multiple cases of Android malware and ransomware, and even cryptocurrency miners posing as apps. Android has always been lucrative for malicious actors, and the quickly evolving threat landscape for the mobile operating system is a constant proof.

This particular malware targets Arabic speaking users and its primary attack domain seems to be the Middle East. Researchers have linked this malware with the Sphinx cyberespionage campaign, which was discovered in 2014-15 and launched by the APT-C-15 group

AnubisSpy Android Malware Capabilities
According to the research, the malware can steal SMS messages, photos, videos, contacts, email accounts, calendar events, and browser histories. It can also take screenshots and record audio, calls inclusive. Not only this, but it can also spy on the victim via apps installed on the device. This list is in the configuration file and can be updated, and apps like Skype, WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter are included.

Once all the data is collected by the AnubisSpy malware, it is encrypted and sent to the command and control server. What is worse is that the malware is capable of self-destruct meaning that it can cover all of its tracks. AnubisSpy can run commands and delete files on the device, as well as install and uninstall Android Application Packages (APKs), the researchers discovered.

AnubisSpy can steal SMS messages, contacts, photos, videos, email accounts, Samsung and Chrome internet browser histories and can also capture screenshots and configuration files of Twitter, Facebook, Skype and WhatsApp due to which it is capable of spying on these apps. It can also self-destruct to hide its tracks and delete the data on infected devices.

How Can Android Users Protect Their Devices?

Android devices should be protected and should be treated as thoughtfully as Windows computers. Keeping both the operating system and the installed applications up-to-date is crucial. Running the latest Android version is essential to security. In addition to this necessity, new devices appear all the time, some of them low budget thus preferred by consumers. What is troublesome with Android that, unlike Windows, it’s not exactly clear with all the third-party providers how long a device will be updated with the needed security patches