Watch out for this malware, which is spreading quickly. Avoid installing these apps
Because they provide limitless access to these services without requiring payment, pirated Android apps such as Spotify and YouTube Music are very popular. But as they say, "You can not give a penny for nothing." Hackers and other cybercriminals frequently use these pirated apps as a ruse to infect users with Trojan horses that steal private information from them, such as private images and videos or bank account details that they can use to gain access to and steal our accounts.
All indications point to modified APK files downloaded from third-party providers as the source of the new Trojan known as SoumniBot, which is wreaking havoc among Android users in South Korea.
Hackers can drain your bank account with SoumniBot, a dangerous new Android Trojan.
According to The Hacker News, experts at cybersecurity company Kaspersky Labs identified the Trojan and issued a warning about its increased activity in South Korea. The malware, known as SoumniBot, is propagated through tampered APK files and is distinguished by its capacity to avoid detection by conventional security analysis tools. The virus is a particularly covert threat because it can install itself without raising suspicions or being discovered by the system itself thanks to a number of advanced techniques. It is crucial to be aware of this threat even though there are currently no signs that the virus has spread to other nations.
SoumniBot automatically starts gathering private data as soon as an Android device is infected with this Trojan. Photos, videos, contacts, text messages, installed app lists, and files with South Korean digital banking certificates are all routinely stolen and sent to the hackers. Additionally, hackers can easily gain access to victims' bank accounts and drain them without their knowledge until it is too late by intercepting verification codes sent by banks during the two-step authentication process through text message access.
Although downloading pirated versions of apps like Spotify or YouTube Music might seem like a tempting way to get premium services for free, these altered APKs are frequently downright harmful. Because many users install them without thinking twice, cybercriminals take advantage of their popularity and use them as bait to infect victims' devices with malware like SoumniBot. If our phone is compromised and our personal information falls into the wrong hands, the cost of avoiding monthly fees could be extremely high.
Keep in mind that cheap can be costly. In particular, it may result in your account being completely empty. Avoiding paying a few dollars a month is never worth putting your savings and privacy at such serious risk. The best way to protect yourself, according to Google, is to only download apps from official stores, keep your operating system updated, install antivirus software or other trustworthy security solutions on your device, and, lastly, exercise common sense when using the internet and stay away from dubious websites and apps. This is because Google claims that the Trojan did not infect any apps available through the Google Play Store.