NCC raises the alarm as malware attacks over 300,000 devices — Nigeria — The Guardian Nigeria News – Nigeria and World News
Urges users to download apps only from official sites, stores
A MALWARE that steals Facebook account credentials, known as ‘Schoolyard Bully’, has infected over 300,000 android devices.
This has prompted the Nigerian Communications Commission’s Computer Security Incident Response Team (NCC-CSIRT) to issue an advisory, reminding users to only download applications from official sites and application stores.
The advisory recommended that users double-check each application; uncheck boxes that request extra third-party downloads when installing apps downloaded from Google Play Store; and use anti-malware applications to routinely scan their devices.
NCC, yesterday, said researchers from mobile security firm, Zimperium, found several apps that transmit the Schoolyard Bully malware, while disguising themselves as reading and educational apps with a variety of books and topics for their victims to study.
According to the commission, the primary objective of the malware, which affects all versions of Facebook apps for android, is to steal account information, including email address and password, account ID, username, device name, device RAM (Random Access Memory), and device API (Application Programming Interface).
According to NCC-CSIRT, “the (Zimperium) research stated that the malware employs JavaScript injection to steal Facebook login information. The malware loads a legitimate URL (web address) inside a WebView (a WebView map website element that enables user interaction through Android View objects and their extensions) with malicious JavaScript injected to obtain the user’s contact information (phone number, email address, and password), and then sends them to the command-and-control server.
“The malware uses native libraries to evade detection and analysis by security software and machine learning technologies.”
The CSIRT is the telecom sector’s cyber security incidence centre, set up by NCC to focus on incidents in the sector as they may affect consumers.
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NCC Raises The Alarm Over New Malware Attacking Android Devices
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has alerted telecom consumers and the general public that a new Android malware that can be used to attack Android devices has been discovered.
According to a statement issued yesterday by the NCC director of public affairs, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, the malware, named ‘AbstractEmu’, can gain access to smartphones, take complete control of infected smartphones and silently modify device settings while simultaneously taking steps to evade detection.
This discovery was announced recently by the Nigerian Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), the national agency established by the federal government to manage the risks of cyber threats in the Nigeria, which also coordinates incident response and mitigation strategies to proactively prevent cyber-attacks against Nigeria
AbstractEmu has been found to be distributed via Google Play Store and third-party stores such as the Amazon Appstore and the Samsung Galaxy Store, as well as other lesser-known marketplaces like Aptoide and APKPure.
The advisory stated that a total of 19 Android applications that posed as utility apps and system tools like password managers, money managers, app launchers and data saving apps have been reported to contain the rooting functionality of the malware.
“The apps are said to have been prominently distributed via third-party stores such as the Amazon Appstore and the Samsung Galaxy Store, as well as other lesser-known marketplaces like Aptoide and APKPure. The apps include All Passwords, Anti-ads Browser, Data Saver, Lite Launcher, My Phone, Night Light and Phone Plus, among others,” the statement said.
According to the report, rooting malware although rare, is very dangerous. By using the rooting process to gain privileged access to the Android operating system, the threat actor can silently grant itself dangerous permissions or install additional malware – steps that would normally require user interaction. Elevated privileges also give the malware access to other apps’ sensitive data, something not possible under normal circumstances.
The ngCERT advisory also captured the consequences of users making their devices susceptible to AbstractEmu…