Everything’s turning digital!. And that includes money which was once calculated in Gold/Silver coins to paper currency and now finally to some numbers in your bank account. You would need a secret chamber to hide your gold and a strong vault hidden in your closet to hide currency. But when it comes to modern banking, things have become simple because all you need is to memorize your credentials (username & password).
But our memory is something that we have stopped relying upon and instead, we trust the Google Chrome browser to save passwords for us. In other words, Google Chrome offers to save passwords for us on our computer which can be accessed by anyone who knows our system password or can easily be hacked into. And not so surprisingly, hackers and threat actors seem to know of this fact and this brings about the rise in the number of malware we have today.
New Malware discovered: Vultur
A new malware “Vultur’ has been reported by the security firm ThreatFabric which is downloaded into the smartphone from Android apps downloaded from Google Play Store. The research team stated that this malware targeted banking information and was thus named Vultur after the scavenger bird.
The malware has been found active in Italy, Australia, the UK, and the Netherlands on a greater scale than in the rest of the world. While the primary aim of Vultur Malware is to steal banking information, there have been certain instances where credentials of social media accounts like WhatsApp, Facebook, and cryptocurrency apps have been compromised.
The ThreatFabric team estimates that at least 30,000 smartphones have been infected so far. The Amsterdam-based security firm advises Android users to deny access to the malware when notified by Accessibility Services for permissions. It has also been stated that this malware can be identified by a casting icon that appears on the Android home screen at the top even when the user is not casting anything. And finally, ThreatFabrics recommends using Android Antivirus applications for better security.
How does Vultur Malware work – Mods Operandi?
There has been other malware in the past that have attempted to steal banking credentials from user’s Android devices. However, those have been known to paste an image on the top of the actual application’s login page and the credentials typed were routed to hackers. This new malware, Vultur, uses a different technique. Instead of pasting an image, it uses a code and recognizes if a data entry form is being used by the user. It then takes a screen grab and initiates keylogging and recording all the keys tapped. This data is then routed to a particular website as specified by the malicious actors.
It is interesting to know that the Vultur Malware does not directly infect your smartphone via Google Play Store apps. Instead, it uses a dropper by the name of Brunhilda that reaches out to malware servers and downloads the malware in the background without the user’s knowledge. This dropper is found in many phone security applications, fitness trackers, and even authentication apps that have all passed security tests on Google Play Store.
Another important fact about Vultur is that they use Accessibility Services to prevent users from removing this malware in cases where it is detected. This is done by instigating a Back button press while an uninstallation attempt is made.
Smartphone Cleaner
To resolve the issue of Malware, many developers have designed Anti-Malware applications that scan, identify, and delete malware from your Smartphone. To protect your Android phone from Malware and keep it optimized at the same time, we recommend using a multi-feature app developed by Systweak Software, known as Smartphone Cleaner. Here are a few important features of this application that will let you know what this app offers to its users:
Malware Protection. Protection against malware and other infections.
Junk Cleaner. Delete all unwanted files and folders and regain valuable storage space.
Duplicate Files Cleaner. Duplicate files are identified and removed which helps free space.
Private Browser. You can use the built-in private browser and be assured that your browsing details and credentials are not saved anywhere.
App Locker. This app allows you to lock apps that can be opened by a passcode known only to you.
In addition, you have Device Booster, File Explorer, Hibernate, Battery Saver, and RAM booster among other modules.
Editor’s Tip
Advanced Identity Protector: Protect your Credentials on PC
Now that you know how to optimize and protect your Android device from malware, here is a tip to protect your credentials on your computer. You can always use Advanced Identity Protector to hide your credentials stored on a PC in a digital vault that is locked by a master password. With all the usernames and passwords to different accounts, you can also conceal your Credit Card information in the vault in case of malware infiltration. Here are the features of Advanced Identity Protector:
Protect Sensitive Information. This app was designed to protect usernames, passwords, Credit card information, and other sensitive information in a digital vault.
Secure Digital Vault. A digital vault is created on your PC whose contents are not stored on any online server which means your information remains locked only on your PC.
Remove Identity Traces. All the identity traces stored on your browsers like Chrome, Edge, Opera are removed.
The Final Word On Save Your Banking Credentials from ‘Vultur’ Malware.
The malware Vultur can create havoc in your life if it is not properly dealt with. The user has to exercise caution and be careful while opening emails or downloading apps from Play Store. It is also true that fake emails and malware-infected apps cannot be detected easily today because the threat actors are working hard to make fake stuff look real. However, in the case of Vultur malware, ThreatFabric has identified a few ways to detect it and we should always keep them in mind.
Do share this article with others to spread the word on Vultur Malware.