The android operating system is vulnerable to malware, slows your system down, and creates glitches that make it difficult even to use your phone.
A new malware has been discovered on Android spreading fast through WhatsApp messages to other contacts in order to expand what appears to be an adware campaign.
“This malware spreads via victim’s WhatsApp by automatically replying to any received WhatsApp message notification with a link to [a] malicious Huawei Mobile app,” ESET researcher
The link to the fake Huawei Mobile app, upon clicking, redirects users to a lookalike Google Play Store website.
Once installed, the wormable app prompts victims to grant it notification access, which is then abused to carry out the attack.
Specifically, it leverages WhatApp’s quick reply feature — which is used to respond to incoming messages directly from the notifications — to send out a reply to a received message automatically.
The app also requests intrusive access to run in the background as well as to draw over other apps, meaning the app can overlay any other application running on the device with its own window that can be used to steal credentials and additional sensitive information.
Furthermore, in its current version, the malware code is capable of sending automatic replies only to WhatsApp contacts.
In a nutshell, the malware spreads via the victim’s WhatsApp by automatically replying to any received WhatsApp message notification with a link to a malicious Huawei Mobile app. The message is sent only once per hour to the same contact.
The essence of this particular malware attack is to trick users into falling for an adware or subscription scam.
Beware of the links you click via your WhatsApp, don’t be tricked into downloading malware, or else your Android device will never be the same again.