Security News > 2021 > September > New SMS malware targets Android users through fake COVID messages
A new and devious SMS malware campaign is trying to infect people via their mobile devices by promising details about COVID-19.
Aimed at Android users in the U.S. and Canada, the malware known as TangleBot can make and block phone calls, send text messages, and overlay malicious screens on a compromised device, said a new report from security firm Cloudmark.
As cybercriminals continue to exploit the coronavirus pandemic, TangleBot attempts to trick Android users into downloading malicious software through phony messages about COVID-19.
If you take the bait and click on any of the follow-up dialog boxes, the TangleBot malware is installed on your Android device.
Further, the malware can use your device to message other devices as a way to spread. Any personal information stolen by the attacker typically wends its way to the Dark Web where buyers are eager to scoop up such sensitive data.
"Mobile devices offer countless channels for attackers to deliver socially engineered phishing campaigns with the goal of swiping corporate login credentials or installing advanced malware that can exfiltrate sensitive data from the device," Schless said.