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The new FlyTrap malware, spread via Android apps, has affected some 10,000 users across 144 countries.
According to cyber security researchers Zimperium, the FlyTrap malware, which is thought to have originated in Vietnam, spread by enticing victims into downloading malicious applications.
Such applications offered Netflix codes, or asked users to take part in polls.
Once the app has been downloaded, it prompts users to log into Facebook from where it not only steals the user's data, but also encourages others to download the malware.
According to Zimperium, “Initially available in Google Play and third-party stores, the application tricked users into downloading and trusting the application with high-quality designs and social engineering.
“These hijacked Facebook sessions can be used to spread the malware by abusing the victim’s social credibility through personal messaging with links to the Trojan, as well as propagating or disinformation campaigns using the victim’s geolocation details. These social engineering techniques are highly effective in the digitally connected world and are used often by cyber criminals to spread malware from one victim to another.”
[Related: The inner workings of DarkSide’s ransomware-as-a-service model]
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