Telegram Bots Share Dreadful SMS Stealer Malware

Malicious actors are using Telegram bots to share dreadful SMS stealer malware, according to Zimperium, a mobile security company.

Users of Android in 113 countries have had their devices infected by the malware, but most victims have yet to hear about the discovery for the first time.

The company stated that the malware has evolved since 2022, the time when they first discovered it. Additionally, there are more than 100,000 types of this malware already being used by malicious actors.

How Devices Get Infected With These SMS Stealer Malware

Zimperium observed that users of Telegram were tricked into downloading this malware through deceptive Telegram bots. Another method was through malvertising.

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In the first method, a Telegram bot tricks the victim into downloading a fake application that contains the SMS stealer malware. These bots could ask users for their phone numbers before sending the app but will use that number to make the app a personalized attack tool.

In the second method, the user is tricked into clicking on a malicious link that appears to lead to a legitimate app store. However, instead of finding genuine applications when they get there, they end up seeing disguised SMS stealer malware.

Once such dreadful applications enter an Android device, they ask for permission to read SMS messages. This permission, if granted, enables them to steal people’s 2FA passwords. This can give them access to the user’s private data and resources.

Two-factor authentication password (2FA), also called a one-time authentication password (OTP), makes your digital spaces and belongings safer by using two different types of user identification. This means that apart from passwords and codes, it also employs the use of biometric data to determine identity. These biometric data include fingerprints, voice recognition, retina scans, and facial recognition.

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Some Countries Containing Victims of the SMS Stealer Malware

Countries such as Russia, the USA, India, Mexico, and Brazil have residents who have downloaded the product. This could be attributed to the fact that seemingly harmless Telegram bots also share the dreadful SMS stealer malware.

The cybersecurity company Zimperium also stated that the malicious actors behind the apps are utilizing 2,600 “Telegram bots.” Furthermore, they mentioned that these bots are controlled by as many as “13 C&C servers.”