01.12.2024

Android malware found that resets smartphones to factory settings

And before that, he steals data from the device, including the password for Internet banking.

Detected Android malware that resets a smartphone to factory settings

The BRATA malware became known back in 2019. But now the software has received new features that make it much more dangerous.

Cleafy's cybersecurity specialists said that BRATA has learned to use various communication channels and track the location of a smartphone using GPS, take screenshots and record taps on the screen. But the worst news is that the malware cleans all traces of its actions on the smartphone, and then performs a factory reset.

The creators of BRATA aimed primarily at online banking customers. In order to hack and steal accounts, victims are allegedly contacted by bank support staff and tricked users into clicking on a link to malware.

Cases of data and funds theft from bank accounts using BRATA have already been recorded in the UK, Poland, Italy, Spain, China and Latin America. Further distribution, including to Russia, is only a matter of time.

Cleafy notes that malware developers are adapting the code for each country and even for specific banking applications. If the malware detects that it is being analyzed, it launches a self-destruction procedure.

To protect yourself from BRATA, you should avoid installing apps from APKs downloaded from suspicious sites and avoid clicking links in spam messages. You also need to carefully check what permissions this or that application requests, and in case of a call from the bank, hang up and call the hotline number indicated on your card.