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The Edge DR Tech Sections Close Back Sections Featured Sections The Edge Dark Reading Technology Attacks / Breaches Cloud ICS/OT Remote Workforce Perimeter Analytics Security Monitoring Security Monitoring App Sec Database Security Database Security Risk Compliance Compliance Threat Intelligence Endpoint AuthenticationMobile SecurityPrivacy AuthenticationMobile SecurityPrivacy Vulnerabilities / Threats Advanced ThreatsInsider ThreatsVulnerability Management Advanced ThreatsInsider ThreatsVulnerability Management Operations Identity & Access ManagementCareers & People Identity & Access ManagementCareers & People Physical Security IoT DR Global Middle East & Africa Middle East & Africa Black Hat news Omdia Research Events Close Back Events Events * SecTor - Canada's IT Security Conference Oct 23-26 - Learn More * Black Hat USA - August 5-10 - Learn More Webinars * Finding a Backup Strategy That Works For You Jul 26, 2023 * Best Practices and Tools for OT and IT Security Aug 16, 2023 Resources Close Back Resources Dark Reading Library > Webinars > Reports > Slideshows > White Papers > Partner Perspectives: Microsoft Tech Library > Newsletter Sign-Up The Edge DR Tech Sections Close Back Sections Featured Sections The Edge Dark Reading Technology Attacks / Breaches Cloud ICS/OT Remote Workforce Perimeter Analytics Security Monitoring Security Monitoring App Sec Database Security Database Security Risk Compliance Compliance Threat Intelligence Endpoint AuthenticationMobile SecurityPrivacy AuthenticationMobile SecurityPrivacy Vulnerabilities / Threats Advanced ThreatsInsider ThreatsVulnerability Management Advanced ThreatsInsider ThreatsVulnerability Management Operations Identity & Access ManagementCareers & People Identity & Access ManagementCareers & People Physical Security IoT DR Global Middle East & Africa Middle East & Africa Black Hat news Omdia Research Events Close Back Events Events * SecTor - Canada's IT Security Conference Oct 23-26 - Learn More * Black Hat USA - August 5-10 - Learn More Webinars * Finding a Backup Strategy That Works For You Jul 26, 2023 * Best Practices and Tools for OT and IT Security Aug 16, 2023 Resources Close Back Resources Dark Reading Library > Webinars > Reports > Slideshows > White Papers > Partner Perspectives: Microsoft Tech Library > The Edge DR Tech Sections Close Back Sections Featured Sections The Edge Dark Reading Technology Attacks / Breaches Cloud ICS/OT Remote Workforce Perimeter Analytics Security Monitoring Security Monitoring App Sec Database Security Database Security Risk Compliance Compliance Threat Intelligence Endpoint AuthenticationMobile SecurityPrivacy AuthenticationMobile SecurityPrivacy Vulnerabilities / Threats Advanced ThreatsInsider ThreatsVulnerability Management Advanced ThreatsInsider ThreatsVulnerability Management Operations Identity & Access ManagementCareers & People Identity & Access ManagementCareers & People Physical Security IoT DR Global Middle East & Africa Middle East & Africa Black Hat news Omdia Research Events Close Back Events Events * SecTor - Canada's IT Security Conference Oct 23-26 - Learn More * Black Hat USA - August 5-10 - Learn More Webinars * Finding a Backup Strategy That Works For You Jul 26, 2023 * Best Practices and Tools for OT and IT Security Aug 16, 2023 Resources Close Back Resources Dark Reading Library > Webinars > Reports > Slideshows > White Papers > Partner Perspectives: Microsoft Tech Library > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Newsletter Sign-Up SEARCH A minimum of 3 characters are required to be typed in the search bar in order to perform a search. Announcements 1. 2. 3. Event Where and When Automation Makes Sense For Enterprise Cybersecurity | August 29 LIVE Webinar <REGISTER> Event Best Practices and Tools for OT and IT Security | August 16 LIVE Webinar <REGISTER> Report Black Hat USA 2022 Attendee Report | Supply Chain & Cloud Security Risks Are Top of Mind | <READ IT NOW> PreviousNext Threat Intelligence 3 MIN READ News CHINA'S APT41 LINKED TO WYRMSPY, DRAGONEGG MOBILE SPYWARE Nation-states see the opportunity in targeting people directly through their mobile phones, in this case with sophisticated Android surveillanceware. Nate Nelson Contributing Writer, Dark Reading July 19, 2023 Source: Cn Boon via Alamy Stock Photo PDF Researchers have attributed two known Android surveillanceware programs — WyrmSpy and DragonEgg — to China's APT41. APT41 (aka Winnti, BARIUM, Double Dragon) is a Chinese state-sponsored threat actor known equally for its espionage campaigns against government agencies and enterprises. It has compromised public and private organizations in the Asia-Pacific, but also has struck as far away as Australia, India, the United States, and beyond, gaining such notoriety that five of its members have been indicted by the US Department of Justice. Often, APT41 has targeted endpoint devices and internet-exposed Web applications for its exploits. But as Lookout researchers described in a report published July 19, the group also occasionally dips its toes into mobile attacks, too, delivering spyware masked as Android applications. We know this now because WyrmSpy and DragonEgg have used overlapping Android code signing certificates, indicating that they come from the same developers. And early samples of the former's source code included a hardcoded command-and-control (C2) server address, which resolved to the subdomain vpn2.umisen[.]com. The Justice Department linked vpn2.umisen[.]com with APT41 in its 2020 indictment. HERE BE CYBER DRAGONS: INSIDE WYRMSPY & DRAGONEGG Befitting its stature, APT41's surveillanceware is a cut above most out in the wild. For example, "a lot of malware authors, for lack of a better adjective, are a little bit lazy. They might just ask for all of the permissions under the sun and hope nobody notices when they're actually trying to compromise the device. But the threat actors have gone a step further here," says Kristina Balaam, senior security intelligence engineer at Lookout. Consider WyrmSpy, which has been around since at least 2017. It most often disguises itself as a default Android system application for displaying notifications, though more recent variants have been hidden inside of apps pretending to be adult video content, the Chinese food delivery platform Baidu Waimai, and Adobe Flash. Once on a device, though, rather than just asking the user for permissions, it deploys rooting tools to escalate privileges before performing commands received from an attacker-controlled C2 server. WyrmSpy is capable of reading log files and a device's location, exfiltrating audio files and photos, and reading or writing SMS messages. "And then there's modularity," Balaam adds. "It's sometimes easier to have all of the surveillance functionality bundled within the base application, and you just send it out once you're good to go. In these cases, the attackers are consistently updating and iterating on the functionality that they've introduced." WyrmSpy is modular, as is DragonEgg, first detected in 2021. Like WyrmSpy, DragonEgg nests inside of malicious apps, ranging from third-party keyboards to a trojanized version of Telegram, and asks the user for extensive permissions. It can steal a user's contacts, SMS messages, external device storage files, location, photos, and audio recordings. A SURVEILLANCE STATE GOES MOBILE Exactly who or how many victims have been struck by these infostealers remains unknown. "The challenging thing about this is that they're very generic in their targeting," Balaam laments. We might take it as a clue if the malware were packaged in an app aimed at a particular demographic, but Adobe Flash and Telegram are widespread general-use applications. What is clear is that China has long used mobile spyware to target different groups. APT41 may be primarily concerned with governments and corporations, but previous campaigns have utilized similar Android malware to target Uyghur communities. There's little any individual can do against the might of a group like APT41, but basic mobile security hygiene — like only downloading software from official app stores — is a place to start, Balaam says. She also recommends antivirus for mobile platforms, even if it's the most basic. "At least then you're able to have detections for a lot of this surveillanceware, adware, banking Trojans — things you don't want on your device. You can get alerts and have those things removed by an application without having to figure it out yourself." Vulnerabilities/ThreatsMobileAdvanced Threats Keep up with the latest cybersecurity threats, newly-discovered vulnerabilities, data breach information, and emerging trends. Delivered daily or weekly right to your email inbox. 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