• Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
MUST READ

Law enforcement operations seized BlackSuit ransomware gang’s darknet sites

 | 

Arizona woman sentenced for aiding North Korea in U.S. IT job fraud scheme

 | 

Operation CargoTalon targets Russia’s aerospace with EAGLET malware,

 | 

Unpatched flaw in EoL LG LNV5110R cameras lets hackers gain Admin access

 | 

Koske, a new AI-Generated Linux malware appears in the threat landscape

 | 

Mitel patches critical MiVoice MX-ONE Auth bypass flaw

 | 

Coyote malware is first-ever malware abusing Windows UI Automation

 | 

SonicWall fixed critical flaw in SMA 100 devices exploited in Overstep malware attacks

 | 

DSPM & AI Are Booming: $17.87B and $4.8T Markets by 2033

 | 

Stealth backdoor found in WordPress mu-Plugins folder

 | 

U.S. CISA adds CrushFTP, Google Chromium, and SysAid flaws to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

U.S. CISA urges FCEB agencies to fix two Microsoft SharePoint flaws immediately and added them to its Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog

 | 

Sophos fixed two critical Sophos Firewall vulnerabilities

 | 

French Authorities confirm XSS.is admin arrested in Ukraine

 | 

Microsoft linked attacks on SharePoint flaws to China-nexus actors

 | 

Cisco confirms active exploitation of ISE and ISE-PIC flaws

 | 

SharePoint under fire: new ToolShell attacks target enterprises

 | 

CrushFTP zero-day actively exploited at least since July 18

 | 

Hardcoded credentials found in HPE Aruba Instant On Wi-Fi devices

 | 

MuddyWater deploys new DCHSpy variants amid Iran-Israel conflict

 | 
  • Home
  • Cyber Crime
  • Cyber warfare
  • APT
  • Data Breach
  • Deep Web
  • Digital ID
  • Hacking
  • Hacktivism
  • Intelligence
  • Internet of Things
  • Laws and regulations
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • Reports
  • Security
  • Social Networks
  • Terrorism
  • ICS-SCADA
  • POLICIES
  • Contact me
  • Home
  • Breaking News
  • Cyber Crime
  • Malware
  • Mobile
  • SharkBot, a new Android Trojan targets banks in Europe

SharkBot, a new Android Trojan targets banks in Europe

Pierluigi Paganini November 16, 2021

Security researchers from Cleafy discovered a new Android banking trojan, named SharkBot, that is targeting banks in Europe.

At the end of October, researchers from cyber security firms Cleafy and ThreatFabric have discovered a new Android banking trojan named SharkBot. The name comes after one of the domains used for its command and control servers.

The malware has been active at least since late October 2021, it targeting the mobile users of banks in Italy, the UK, and the US. The trojan allows to hijack users’ mobile devices and steal funds from online banking and cryptocurrency accounts.

Once the banking Trojan is installed on the victim’s device, threat actors can steal sensitive banking information through the abuse of Accessibility Services (i.e. login credentials, personal information, current balance, etc.).

SharkBot implements overlay attacks to steal login credentials and credit card information.

At the time of writing, SharkBot appears to have a very low detection rate by antivirus solutions since

The malware implements multiple anti-analysis techniques, including string obfuscation routine, emulator detection and a domain generation algorithm (DGA).

“SharkBot belongs to a “new” generation of mobile malware, as it is able to perform ATS attacks inside the infected device. This technique has been already seen recently from other banking trojans, such as Gustuff.” reads the analysis published by the researchers. “ATS (Automatic Transfer System) is an advanced attack technique (fairly new on Android) which enables attackers to auto-fill fields in legitimate mobile banking apps and initiate money transfers from the compromised devices.”

SharkBot abuses Accessibility Service to carry out ATS attacks inside the infected device. ATS (Automatic Transfer System) attaks allow Treat actors to auto-fill fields in legitimate mobile banking to transfer money from the compromised devices to accounts under the control of the attackers. This technique allows automating these actions minimizing user intervention.

SharkBot

The Trojan can read and hide SMS received from the infected user, a capability that allows attackers to intercept 2FA sent by the bank via SMSs.

The experts did not find any samples of the malware on the official Google Play Store, they pointed out that the malicious code is delivered on the users’ devices using both the side-loading technique and social engineering schemes.

At the time of this writing, the SharkBot can interact with the apps of 22 banks.

“With the discover of SharkBot we have shown new evidence about how mobile malwares are quickly finding new ways to perform fraud, trying to bypass behavioural detection countermeasures put in place by multiple banks and financial services during the last years.” concludes the report.

“Like the evolution of workstation malwares occurred in the past years, also in the mobile field we are seeing a rapid evolution towards more sophisticated patterns like ATS attacks.”

Follow me on Twitter: @securityaffairs and Facebook

[adrotate banner=”9″][adrotate banner=”12″]

Pierluigi Paganini

(SecurityAffairs – hacking, SharkBot)

[adrotate banner=”5″]

[adrotate banner=”13″]


facebook linkedin twitter

bot botnet Cybercrime Hacking hacking news information security news IT Information Security malware Pierluigi Paganini Security Affairs Security News SharkBot

you might also like

Pierluigi Paganini July 26, 2025
Law enforcement operations seized BlackSuit ransomware gang’s darknet sites
Read more
Pierluigi Paganini July 26, 2025
Arizona woman sentenced for aiding North Korea in U.S. IT job fraud scheme
Read more

leave a comment

newsletter

Subscribe to my email list and stay
up-to-date!

    recent articles

    Law enforcement operations seized BlackSuit ransomware gang’s darknet sites

    Cyber Crime / July 26, 2025

    Arizona woman sentenced for aiding North Korea in U.S. IT job fraud scheme

    Intelligence / July 26, 2025

    Operation CargoTalon targets Russia’s aerospace with EAGLET malware,

    Intelligence / July 25, 2025

    Unpatched flaw in EoL LG LNV5110R cameras lets hackers gain Admin access

    Security / July 25, 2025

    Koske, a new AI-Generated Linux malware appears in the threat landscape

    Malware / July 25, 2025

    To contact me write an email to:

    Pierluigi Paganini :
    pierluigi.paganini@securityaffairs.co

    LEARN MORE

    QUICK LINKS

    • Home
    • Cyber Crime
    • Cyber warfare
    • APT
    • Data Breach
    • Deep Web
    • Digital ID
    • Hacking
    • Hacktivism
    • Intelligence
    • Internet of Things
    • Laws and regulations
    • Malware
    • Mobile
    • Reports
    • Security
    • Social Networks
    • Terrorism
    • ICS-SCADA
    • POLICIES
    • Contact me

    Copyright@securityaffairs 2024

    We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
    Cookie SettingsAccept All
    Manage consent

    Privacy Overview

    This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities...
    Necessary
    Always Enabled
    Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
    Non-necessary
    Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
    SAVE & ACCEPT