A newly identified spyware framework can be used to build extensive surveillance capabilities into Android applications, Bitdefender security researchers warn.
Dubbed Triout, the malware made its first appearance on May 15, when a sample was uploaded to VirusTotal. Although initially submitted from Russia, most of the scans came from Israel.
The malware’s command and control (C&C) server has been running since May 2018 as well, and Bitdefender says that it appears to continue to be operational at the time of this report.
In a technical whitepaper (
PDF), Bitdefender’s Cristofor Ochinca explains that the analyzed sample doesn’t use obfuscation, meaning that the security researchers gained immediate access to the source code by simply unpacking the APK file.
“This could suggest the framework may be a work-in-progress, with developers testing features and compatibility with devices,” Ochinca points out.
The spyware was discovered bundled with a repackaged application that kept the appearance and all the functionality of the original, supposedly so as not to tip victims off. The malicious payload is the only thing that sets the two apart.
