Beware of Android applications that ask for access to accessibility services – the app may be trying to steal your banking credentials
Russian cybercriminals have aimed at major banks with a sophisticated new malware campaign using malware called Octo.
If you have an Android phone – think brands like Samsung, Google & HTC – be very wary of apps that ask to turn on accessibility services.
Accessibility services are designed to help people who have a disability and grant the app special privileges to control the Android operating system in special ways that can be taken advantage of by hackers.
Be careful what you put on your phone
This advice is specifically for Android users who can sideload apps onto their phones. Stick with the Google Play store and pay attention to what you’re installing.
Don’t turn on accessibility services unless you need it. Be suspicious of apps that request it.
Our experts say that 99 per cent of mobile malware relies on accessibility services, which are designed to help people who have a disability.
It’s a powerful tool that gives users a lot of capabilities and privileges, and one that hackers can take advantage of.
“All malware will be pretty much asking for this privilege from the get-go, the moment the application [is] started, they will request for this,” Mr Durando, from ThreatFabric, said.
“They will try to paint it as like a very essential thing for the execution of the application they’re posing as.
“[You] shouldn’t grant this kind of privileges to any app really, I personally cannot really see a reason to do so unless you’re a power user, or … if you’re a person with disabilities.”
This is a fake Fedex app. The real Fedex app would not ask to turn on accessibility services.
How do I know if my phone has been hacked?
One way to check is going to your phone’s Settings and then the Accessibility page to see if there are any suspicious apps like file managers or QR code scanners.
If your device is infected, you might not even be able to get to this page because your phone might start flashing or automatically exit the Settings page, as though you tried to return to the home screen.
“That is for sure an indicator that you have an infected device because many malware families have … some sort of defence mechanisms that force the user out of the settings page whenever it enters specific parts, which are the ones where you can uninstall the application,” he said.
Source: ABC Australia
How to check your Android phone’s accessibility settings:
Swipe the bottom of your home screen upwards to reveal the grid of apps and in this grid, select Settings
Select Accessibility
These are apps I know, and are not, say, some vague, generic apps I don’t understand, which would be concerning
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