Linked to the Pegasus spyware, the malware strikes by taking total control of your Android smartphone: it accesses emails, messages, videos, photos, and passwords
Despite Google's assurances about the security of its devices, Android continues to be targeted by hackers.
This time, however, it is something unusual, very dangerous, and difficult to detect. This time, however, it's something unusual, very dangerous and difficult to detect, prompting the researchers who discovered the malware to call it one of the most sophisticated they've ever seen.
Once the malware has penetrated the system, it gains access to almost all personal data on the affected devices: emails, messages, calls, pictures, videos and passwords.The phishing strategy used by cyber criminals to trick victims is always the same: the malware hides in disguise in an Android app, which if downloaded allows the malicious code to infect the smartphone. The most worrying aspect is its "intelligence": if found, the malware uninstalls itself, making the work of antivirus useless. This means that, by camouflaging itself among various processes, the malicious software is practically invisible.
How it affects Chrysaor
The fearsome malware was discovered by researchers from Google and Lookout Security, a company specializing in mobile security. Chrysaor, as the spyware has been named, seems to be related to Pegasus, a malware already seen on iOS devices. The Android version is, however, much more sophisticated. Pegasus, in fact, struck by exploiting small flaws in Apple's operating system - which were later repaired through update patches - and using jailbreaking techniques, procedures that allow to open the Cupertino OS and install external software.
Tough to die
Chrysaor, on the other hand, is different, or rather, it doesn't "go down" at the first attempt. If it doesn't manage to root the smartphone, and therefore gain control of the phone, it acquires administrator permissions by exploiting the Superuser binary code, which allows users to root the device. At the moment, however, the situation seems to be under control, also because, according to researchers, the spyware has not been found in any of the apps in the Google Store.
How to protect yourself
The best weapon against Chrysaor, or any other type of malware, is to never download apps from unofficial markets. Since they are not checked at the source, as it is the case with Google and Apple stores, these applications may contain malicious software. So, be careful.