Can my phone be drained of funds if it contains this app?

(Dan Tri) - A new type of malware is silently attacking phones, it can drain money through sensitive screenshots.

The application contains malicious code that can steal users' sensitive personal data (Photo: ST).

Even the latest generation iPhones and Android phones could be targeted by this attack campaign, which uses the SparkKitty malware to steal all the images of the infected device, according to a report by BleepingComputer.

Cybersecurity firm Kaspersky revealed that the campaign has been going on since February last year. However, what makes it different is that the malware has found its way into both the App Store and Google Play.

Specifically, hackers aim to find screenshots containing cryptocurrency wallet access keys.

This is a unique cryptographic string that helps you recover and access your wallet in case you forget your password, lose your device, or delete your wallet.

Once they have them in hand, hackers can easily drain users' cryptocurrencies.

Kaspersky explains that hackers used the SOEX messaging app (which features a cryptocurrency exchange) to directly target Android users on the Google Play Store.

Meanwhile, on iPhone, they used the 币coin app from the App Store to achieve the same purpose.

While Google has removed the SOEX app from the Play Store (at the time of writing), the 币coin app is still on the App Store and has not been removed by Apple.

Therefore, if you download any of these apps, delete it immediately.

Additionally, these applications must be downloaded from the website.

Device safety protection

Urgent advice is that users should write down the access key information on paper and keep it in an absolutely safe place, not store it as a photo on the phone.

Additionally, users can become infected with malware by clicking on malicious links, downloading email attachments from unknown senders, or through apps on official or unofficial app stores.

Therefore, users need to be extremely careful when installing any new application on their iPhone or Android phone.

Note that even official apps can be infected with malware.

If you are using an Android phone, make sure that Google Play Protect is enabled on your device.

The free security app will scan all your existing apps and any new apps you download for malware or other malicious activity to keep your device safe.

If your phone contains a lot of sensitive data, it's a good idea to download an antivirus app to stay safe.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/cong-nghe/dien-thoai-co-the-bi-rut-sach-tien-neu-chua-ung-dung-nay-20250625221055749.htm