Malware News GhostChat Spyware Targets Android Users Through WhatsApp, Steals Sensitive Data

[Brownie2019]

Content source

https://gbhackers.com/ghostchat-targets-whatsapp-users/

A sneaky Android spyware called GhostChat, which tricks Pakistan-based users with romance scams via WhatsApp.
The malware grabs sensitive data like contacts, photos, and files from victims’ devices.
Threat actors pose as dating apps to hook targets. GhostChat mimics a legit chat platform named “Dating Apps without payment,” stealing its icon for trust. Users must sideload the APK since it’s not on Google Play.
The app demands permissions right away. It shows a login screen with hardcoded credentials: username “chat,” password “12345.” After login, 14 fake female profiles appear, each locked behind preset codes shared with victims.
These profiles link to Pakistani WhatsApp numbers (+92 codes). Victims enter a code, then get redirected to WhatsApp for chats run by attackers. This builds false exclusivity, masking the spyware’s real goal: constant spying.

Full Story:

GhostChat Spyware Targets Android Users Through WhatsApp, Steals Sensitive Data

A sneaky Android spyware called GhostChat, which tricks Pakistan-based users with romance scams via WhatsApp.

gbhackers.com

 

[Bot]

Full Story:

GhostChat Spyware Targets Android Users Through WhatsApp, Steals Sensitive Data

A sneaky Android spyware called GhostChat, which tricks Pakistan-based users with romance scams via WhatsApp.

gbhackers.com

What you pasted describes a very common “trojanized APK + romance-scam funnel to WhatsApp” playbook: the app itself is the delivery vehicle for spyware, while the WhatsApp chat is used to keep the victim engaged and extract money/data.

Key risk factors in the write-up (even if you ignore the name “GhostChat”)

• Sideloaded APK (not from Google Play) + social engineering (“exclusive codes”) is a high-confidence red flag.
• Immediate permission prompts (contacts/storage/photos/SMS/accessibility, etc.) is typical for spyware.
• Hardcoded login (“chat / 12345”) and fake profiles strongly suggests the “app” is just a lure/UI wrapper, not a real service.
• Redirection to WhatsApp numbers is consistent with romance-scam workflows (the attacker wants the conversation off-platform and persistent).

If someone installed this (or anything similar), the safest response

• Disconnect the phone from the internet temporarily (Airplane mode) to stop further data exfiltration while you clean up.
• Try a normal uninstall first (Settings → Apps → find the app → Uninstall).
• If uninstall is blocked:
  • Check Device Admin apps (Settings → Security → Device admin apps) and disable any suspicious entry.
  • Check Accessibility services (Settings → Accessibility) and turn off anything you didn’t intentionally enable.
  • Check “Install unknown apps” / “Unknown sources” and revoke permissions for the browser/file manager that was used to install the APK.
• Run a scan with a reputable mobile AV (this won’t “prove it’s clean,” but it can help catch known families and leftovers).
• Assume account/data exposure:
  • Change passwords for important accounts (email, banking, social) from a different, known-clean device.
  • Enable 2FA where possible (prefer an authenticator app or hardware key; SMS is better than nothing but weaker).
  • Review Google Account security: signed-in devices, recent security activity, and connected apps.
• If you cannot regain trust in the device, back up essentials (photos/docs) and perform a factory reset. For spyware-grade threats, a reset is often the most reliable end state.

What not to do

• Don’t rely on “it uninstalled, so I’m safe” as a certainty—some threats abuse accessibility/admin to persist or reinstall.
• Don’t upload personal APKs or private screenshots containing phone numbers, tokens, or personal data to random sites. If sharing samples, use established services (e.g., VirusTotal) and redact personal identifiers.

About the article/source
I can’t confirm the malware family name or the exact technical claims from your excerpt alone, and single-site reports can sometimes be incomplete. The behavior described (sideload lure app + aggressive permissions + WhatsApp social engineering) is still enough to treat it as unsafe in practice, even without a perfect attribution or name.

Practical takeaway
Anything pushing a sideloaded “dating/chat” APK and then steering you to WhatsApp with “exclusive codes” should be treated as a compromise attempt; the correct move is removal, permission lockdown, and account security hardening—factory reset if there’s any doubt about persistence.

 

[Halp2001]

GhostChat promises exclusive dates… and ends up being exclusive with your photos, contacts, and passwords . The most toxic romance you could ever install

 

[Divergent]

Technical Analysis & Remediation

MITRE ATT&CK & D3FEND Mapping

T1566.002 (Phishing: Spearphishing Link)
Distribution via fake dating sites and "Ministry of Defence" impersonation pages.

T1622 (Debugger Evasion)
The APK demands extensive permissions and hides its icon post-installation.

T1114 (Email Collection)
While focused on WhatsApp, the malware scrapes all accessible communication data.

T1552.001 (Credentials from Password Stores)
"GhostPairing" exploits the QR code device linking feature in WhatsApp to grant persistent access to the attacker.

T1059.001 (Command and Scripting Interpreter: PowerShell) Windows payloads fetch and execute Base64-encoded commands via rundll32.exe.

CVE Profile
No specific CVE assigned to the malware itself; it exploits legitimate features (WhatsApp Web Linking, Accessibility Services) rather than code vulnerabilities.

CISA KEV Status
N/A (Social Engineering driven).

Live Evidence & Indicators of Compromise (IOCs)

Disclaimer
These indicators are extracted directly from the provided 2026 intelligence reports. Do not interact with these domains.

Primary C2 Domain
hitpak[.]org

Malicious Distribution Site
buildthenations[.]info (Hosting fake PKCERT lure)

File Artifacts (SHA-1)
B15B1F3F2227EBA4B69C85BDB638DF34B9D30B6A (APK: "Live Chat.apk")

8B103D0AA37E5297143E21949471FD4F6B2ECBAA (DLL: "file.dll")

Network Indicators
188.114.96[.]10 (Cloudflare - Low fidelity, use with caution)

URI
hitpak[.]org/notepad2[.]dll

Behavioral Signatures

Hardcoded App Credentials
Username: chat | Password: 12345

PowerShell Execution
powershell.exe -NoProfile -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -WindowStyle Hidden -Command "..."

Remediation - THE ENTERPRISE TRACK (SANS PICERL)

Phase 1: Identification & Containment

Query SIEM
Search for outbound traffic to hitpak[.]org and buildthenations[.]info.

Endpoint Scan
Query EDR for the SHA-1 hashes listed above and for rundll32.exe spawning powershell.exe with -WindowStyle Hidden arguments.

Mobile Audit
Immediately audit all corporate mobile devices for the "Live Chat" application (Package Name often mimics legit apps).

Phase 2: Eradication

Block Domains
Implement DNS sinkholing for hitpak[.]org.

Kill Chains
Terminate any processes associated with Live Chat.apk or unknown DLLs loaded by rundll32.exe.

WhatsApp Audit
Instruct users to check "Linked Devices" in WhatsApp. Any unknown browser sessions (especially Linux/Chrome combinations typical of bots) must be revoked immediately.

Phase 3: Recovery

Re-image
Infected Windows endpoints should be reimaged due to the persistence of the PowerShell backdoor.

Credential Reset
Reset all passwords used on the infected device, as GhostChat utilizes keylogging and screen recording.

Phase 4: Lessons Learned

Training
Update security awareness modules to cover "GhostPairing" (scanning QR codes from untrusted sources) and "ClickFix" (fake browser error pages asking users to paste PowerShell scripts).

Remediation - THE HOME USER TRACK

Priority 1: Immediate Safety (The "GhostPairing" Check)
Open WhatsApp on your phone.

Go to Settings > Linked Devices.

Look for any device you do not recognize (e.g., "Google Chrome (Windows)" logged in at 3 AM).

Tap the device and select Log Out immediately.

Priority 2: Malware Removal

Uninstall
Go to Settings > Apps and look for "Live Chat" or "Dating Apps without payment". Uninstall it.

Scan
Download a reputable mobile antivirus (like ESET or Malwarebytes) and run a full deep scan. The malware is detected as Android/Spy.GhostChat.A.

Priority 3: Identity Hygiene
Since the malware steals contacts and files, assume your data has been compromised. Change your banking and email passwords from a different, clean device.

Enable 2-Factor Authentication (2FA) on all accounts, preferably using an app (like Authenticator) rather than SMS.

Hardening & References

Baseline
Enforce "Verify Apps" (Google Play Protect) on all Android devices. Do not enable "Install from Unknown Sources".

Tactical
Be wary of dating or chat apps that require you to enter a specific "code" to view profiles—this is a hallmark of the GhostChat social engineering tactic.

Reference

GBHackers

ESET Research Article

Disclaimer
This analysis is based on intelligence available as of Feb 01, 2026. Threat actors evolve rapidly; continuous monitoring is required.

 

[Sorrento]

@Halp2001 - I’m not sure about that 44.5 years ago I got 'married' since then I have been totally fleeced dry, my life is not by own, I have to buy speakers / pc bits etc when my wife is away & other people have appeared on the scene I was not prepared for (called children) they also removed much money, now to make matters worse they have children too & they take money & resources, added to that son & daughter in laws too - Beware of this scam its common & affects many !!

 

[Halp2001]

@Halp2001 - I’m not sure about that 44.5 years ago I got 'married' since then I have been totally fleeced dry, my life is not by own, I have to buy speakers / pc bits etc when my wife is away & other people have appeared on the scene I was not prepared for (called children) they also removed much money, now to make matters worse they have children too & they take money & resources, added to that son & daughter in laws too - Beware of this scam its common & affects many !!

Haha, so GhostChat isn’t that innovative after all: it’s been sneaking into households for decades under the alias ‘marriage’. At least that spyware comes with free tech support… though uninstalling is not an option