Android users beware: Spynote Trojan's data theft tactics revealed

Delhi : SpyNote is a new type of malware that is very good at masking itself and is circulating online. The fraudulent software mostly targets Android phones and has the ability to steal critical user data, including banking information, according to internet security firm F-Secure.

The company's researcher, Amit Tambe, claims that sending contaminated SMS messages is known as "smishing," which is how this malware, SpyNote, spreads. Users who get these messages are asked to download certain programs by clicking on the given link, so evading Google Play's security protocols.

On Android, how does it disguise itself?

The spyware program conceals and changes its appearance after it is installed on an Android smartphone in order to avoid being discovered. Moreover, according to F-Secure, SpyNote goes the "extra mile" to conceal its actions from showing up on the Android OS's "recents" interface. Additionally, it stays concealed until the virus is activated on the victim's device by sending a "external trigger."

How User Data Is Stolen by SpyNote ?

Naturally, because this spyware records phone conversations, it also violates the privacy of users. The attacker receives the captured data after they have been stored in a.wav file format. The broadcast receiver is activated and the phone status changes when the victim gets an incoming call. According to F-Secure, the broadcast receiver's code verifies that the victim has answered the call before beginning to record the audio.

The malware can also operate as a keylogger to possibly take user data, including banking passwords, and extract.jpeg files from a victim's phone in order to steal further data.

The officials claims that when the trojan's source code was made public in October 2022, the trojan's infection rates rose. You should so exercise caution when it comes to this virus and refrain from clicking on external links that you get by SMS and other means.