Android users warned about bug that could drain their bank accounts

Android owners who use Chrome apps for online browsing are being warned about a new type of malware that could empty their bank accounts.

The bug, called Brokewell, masquerades as an app update. However, downloading it may allow cybercriminals to not only access your personal data but also take over your entire phone and gain access to your banking apps.

A screenshot provided by ThreatFabric, which discovered the bug, shows how difficult it is to spot fraud.

The team is warning Android users to be cautious and only download updates from official sources such as the Google Play Store.

It added that Mr Brokewell posed a “serious threat to the banking industry”.

“Our threat intelligence shows that device hijacking capabilities continue to be important to modern banking malware families, and new players are no exception,” the team said on its website.

It’s no surprise, then, that ThreatFabric analysts recently discovered a new mobile malware family, Brokewell, with extensive device hijacking capabilities.

Brokewell uses an overlay attack, a common technique in Android banking malware, which overlays a fake screen on the targeted application to capture user credentials.

“After stealing credentials, an attacker can use remote control capabilities to launch device takeover attacks.”

After downloading Brokewell, anyone who takes control of your device will be able to perform various actions such as touching, swiping, and clicking on specified elements.

The arrival of Brokewell is a departure from what cybercriminals have been doing for years and something a growing number of users are aware of: launching dangerous apps that attempt to hack people’s phones. It shows a breakaway.

It appears as a perfectly legitimate update to an existing (and well-known) app, so users might not stop to think about what they’re doing before starting the download.

However, Brokewell’s findings make it even more important to take the time to properly consider when updating your device. If in doubt, ignore the update prompt and manually update the app yourself.

More information: Urgent warning to iPhone users to update software to stop Bluetooth stalking

Read more: There’s a new scam called ‘smishing’ that’s incredibly sophisticated

Read more: 5 classic WhatsApp features you probably didn’t know about

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service.