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It’s always important to check where you’re downloading your apps from. Recently, a technology monitoring group revealed that there are three fake YouTube apps being promoted online.
As reported by Bleeping Computer, it was identified that these fake apps were developed by a cybercriminal group called Transparent Tribe (APT36). These apps were designed to target government officials, but it’s also likely that unsuspecting users were already able to download these apps too.
Sentinel Labs named the malicious apps, two of which are called YouTube. The third app is called Piya Sharma, which is named after a famous anchor. These apps were designed to look like the YouTube app so they could trick people into downloading them. But after launching the app, they look more like an internet browser and do not have the same features that the original YouTube app has. Meanwhile, the Piya Sharma app has been reported to be used in romance-based scams.
It’s important to note that these apps cannot be found on the Google Play Store. Instead, they are being promoted on social media platforms with a fake landing page so they can be distributed. During the installation process, they require a number of permissions, including microphone access and to send and view SMS. While the former is relevant to a video app, the latter is not.
As shared by PhoneArena, these apps are CapraRAT malware, which are known to steal private information like call logs, GPS data, and text messages. They are also able to record audio and video, take screenshots, and initiate phone calls. The worst part is, they can interfere with system settings.
Once they access the personal information of the user, they can perform phishing attacks using fake profiles from the information they obtained.
The independent monitoring group has revealed that the target of these fake apps are members of the Indian army, government, human rights activists, and those involved in diplomacy work in Kashmir. It is also believed that APT36 may be working for the Pakistani government.
The best way to avoid being victimized by such apps is to make sure you only download your apps from the Google Play Store.
Source: PhoneArena
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