New iOS and Android spyware responsible for multi-layered sextortion campaign

guest · Dec 16, 2020

New iOS and Android spyware responsible for multi-layered sextortion campaign
December 16, 2020
https://www.techradar.com/news/new-...onsible-for-multi-layered-sextortion-campaign

Researchers have identified a new strain of malware capable of surveilling and lifting data from Android and iOS devices.

According to security firm Lookout, the spyware targets users of illicit and adult websites and is built to facilitate extortion campaigns.
Known as Goontact, the malware allows its operators to exfiltrate user data from infected smartphones and tablets, including messages, photos, phone numbers and location data
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As per a blog post published by Lookout, the Goontact scammers begin by entrapping users of online escort services. The malware operators strike up a conversation with the victim, convincing them to download applications to their devices that supposedly enhance their experience on the website.

“It’s no secret that mobile devices are a treasure trove for cybercriminals,“ noted Phil Hochmuth, Program Vice President of Enterprise Mobility at analyst firm IDC.
“As the use of mobile devices continues to increase, so does the maturity of iOS and Android cybercrime. [...]”
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“We believe this campaign is operated by a crime affiliate, rather than nation state actors. While we have yet to uncover any definitive infrastructure links, we believe it is highly probably that Goontact is the newest addition to this threat actor’s arsenal,” said the firm.
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Lookout: Lookout Discovers New Spyware Used by Sextortionists to Blackmail iOS and Android Users

The Lookout Threat Intelligence team has discovered a new mobile app threat targeting iOS and Android users in Chinese speaking countries, Korea and Japan. The spyware, which we have named Goontact, targets users of illicit sites, typically offering escort services, and steals personal information from their mobile device. The types of sites used to distribute these malicious apps and the information exfiltrated suggests that the ultimate goal is extortion or blackmail.
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