Thanks to the tireless work of the researchers at Trend Micro it was possible to identify a new and fearsome malware, known by the name of CherryBlos.
This malicious agent has been identified within some apps including Figura SynthNetused for cryptocurrency mining and regularly featured on Google Play. The other applications that showed the malware are GPTalk, Happy Miner e Robot 999spread through Telegram e TikTok.
What makes CherryBlos different from other similar malware is its rather unique way of operating. Through some advanced techniques optical character recognition (OCR), the malevolent agent goes through the victim’s photo albums, looking for any “useful” photographs for his purpose.
It is not uncommon for some users to remember username, PIN and the password, save photos where this precious data is shown. In case the user has taken a photo with respect to the login credentials regarding crypto walletsCherryBlos works by capturing the same and sending them to the cybercriminals who manage this campaign.
CherryBlos “reads” your photos looking for credentials: here’s how to avoid disasters
The malware in question, however, is not limited to the aforementioned task. CherryBlos can also act by overlaying false interfaces on top of others legitimate cryptocurrency appsto “intercept” the typing of credentials, interfere in transactions or otherwise steal money from the victim.
Beyond individual malware, the application of OCR techniques in cybercrime represents a dangerous precedent. Security experts wanted to offer concrete advice to avoid this type of infection and other similar potential malware.
Using a antivirus on your mobile device is, nowadays, almost mandatory to avoid potential disasters. Furthermore, to avoid risks, it can be essential avoid unofficial stores e file APK to install apps on your phone. Don’t download counterfeit appscoming from untrustworthy websites, is another step to avoid infections.
Even relying on official platforms, it is always good to check number of downloads e reviews of an app, to further reduce potential dangers.
