Important Facts For Prelims
BlackRock Android Malware
- 20 Jul 2020
- 2 min read
Why in News
Recently, a security firm has alerted about a new malware called BlackRock which targets social, communication, and dating apps.
Key Points
- BlackRock is a banking Trojan and said to be an enhanced version of existing Xerxes malware which itself is a variant of the LokiBot Android trojan.
- A trojan is any type of malicious program disguised as a legitimate one. Often, they are designed to steal sensitive information (login credentials, account numbers, financial information, credit card information, and the like) from users.
- Banking trojans are a specific kind of trojan malware. Once installed onto a client machine, banking trojans use a variety of techniques to create botnets, steal credentials, inject malicious code into browsers, or steal money.
- Functioning: It collects user information by abusing the Accessibility Service of Android and overlaying a fake screen on top of a genuine app. It uses Android DPC (Device Policy Controller) to provide access to other permissions.
- Concerns:
- It surfaces as a google update.
- The malware is said to have the design to overlay attacks, send, spam, and steal SMS messages as well as lock the victim in the launcher activity. It can also act as a keylogger (i.e. track the keys struck on a keyboard), which essentially could help a hacker to acquire financial information.
- Despite being a banking Trojan, BlackRock is said to target non-financial apps.
- It targets a total of 337 apps, which is significantly higher than any of the already known malicious code.
- It makes antivirus applications useless.
