They discover a Trojan that is capable of stealing WhatsApp accounts and making paying subscribers

A team of analysts cyber security has found a trojan capable of issuing paid subscriptions and stealing accounts from WhatsApp in a modified application of this messaging platform.

Kaspersky researchers have found references to malware called Triada embedded in a mod for the service developed by Meta, whose fraudulent version is called YoWhatsApp.

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A mod it is a transformed version of a program or an application that provides functions that the official services do not offer, such as new settings, maps or characters in the case of video games.

In the case of WhatsApp, mods often offer alternative options to the original application, such as wallpapers, custom fonts for chats, and password-protected access to certain conversations, among other features.

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According to the investigations of this cybersecurity company, more than 3,600 users would have been exposed to this cyber threat in the last two months by downloading YoWhatsApp, an application advertised on Snaptube and also distributed through Vidmate.

Kaspersky believes that the success of this mod is due precisely to the fact that both applications, used by thousands of people around the world, advertise it. However, he thinks that it is most likely that even his developers were not aware of this danger.

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According to Kaspersky security analyst Anton Kivva, “Advertising in legitimate apps is a very cunning way for criminals to spread malicious apps, as many believe that if the app they are using is safe, the ads that appear in it also carry no risk”.

Upon installation of the altered application, users are forced to log in to their real app account. By doing so, they receive the Triada Trojan on their deviceswhich downloads and executes malicious payloads on terminals.

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They also get the credentials of the official WhatsApp application account and can access the Permissions section, where they have the possibility of stealing accounts and earning money at the expense of the victims by signing them up for paid subscriptions.

To neutralize these risks, the cybersecurity company recommends installing only apps from official stores and trusted sourcescheck the permissions that are granted to these services and install an antivirus on the device.

Source: Elcomercio

James

I have worked as a journalist for over 10 years and have written for various news outlets. I currently work as an author at 24 News Recorder, mostly covering entertainment news. I have a keen interest in the industry and enjoy writing about the latest news and gossip. I am also a member of the National Association of Journalists.