Dangerous New Android Malware Infecting Phones, Stealing Banking Credentials and Other Sensitive Data: Report

Newly discovered malware is secretly hijacking Android phones and stealing banking credentials by turning the device’s own developer tools against users.

The Cybersecurity firm Group-IB says a dangerous new version of the RedHook malware is now infecting devices, giving hackers powerful remote control to steal sensitive data.

The malware abuses Android’s Wireless Debugging feature. The tool is normally used by developers to gain deep access to infected phones without needing a computer or special permissions.

Attackers are luring victims through phone calls and messages that impersonate banks or government agencies, currently targeting users in Vietnam and Indonesia.

They direct people to fake websites made to look like the Google Play Store and trick them into downloading malicious apps hosted on GitHub and Amazon’s cloud servers.

Once hacked, the malware shows fake screens to get users to grant Accessibility permissions. It then automatically turns on hidden developer settings in the background and connects the phone to itself, giving attackers high-level control.

“RedHook abuses ADB Wireless Debugging to obtain shell-level privileges. With this access, attackers can steal passwords, stream the screen, capture lock screen codes, and create fake dialogs to steal banking information.”

The malware is built to survive removal attempts using several persistence tricks, including a nearly invisible one-pixel screen activity, silent audio playback, and services that automatically restart each other if stopped. It can also restore full access after a phone reboot.

This upgraded technique makes RedHook much harder to detect and remove than typical Android malware.

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