WhatsApp and other chat platforms could soon be the target of hackers trying steal personal data.
Anyone using WhatsApp, Telegram, or Signal on Android devices needs to be on red alert and aware of a new bug that may soon start targeting these popular devices. A new threat – called Sturnus – has just been confirmed by the team at Threat Fabric, and those infected could find their most private chats viewed and exposed by cyber crooks.
The worrying new Trojan, first spotted by MTI Security researchers, is fully capable of granting hackers remote control over devices. This then lets them observe all user activity and even black out the device screen while executing fraudulent transactions.
That means they can read messages that have been sent and received, and even steal banking credentials and login data.
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“MTI Security researchers have identified Sturnus, a privately operated Android banking trojan,” Threat Fabric explained.
“This malware supports a broad range of fraud-related capabilities, including full device takeover. A key differentiator is its ability to bypass encrypted messaging. By capturing content directly from the device screen after decryption, Sturnus can monitor communications via WhatsApp, Telegram, and Signal.”
It’s thought that Sturnus is in the early stages of development and has yet to infect huge numbers of devices, but that doesn’t mean anyone should let their guard down.
If hackers work out a way of distributing it, then it could cause millions of Android users a serious headache.
“Sturnus represents a sophisticated and comprehensive threat, implementing multiple attack vectors that provide attackers with near-complete control over infected devices,” Threat Fabric explained.
“The combination of overlay-based credential theft, message monitoring, extensive keylogging, real-time screen streaming, remote control, device administrator abuse, and comprehensive environmental monitoring creates a dangerous threat to victims’ financial security and privacy.”
The best way to stay safe is to only install official apps from the Google Play Store. Don’t sideload software and check the reviews before adding anything new to devices.
Sturnus might be new but it clearly has some very worrying capabilities.
