Threat to Mobile Device called Dark Caracal Malware

How many of us know that the devices that we use for our daily use are prone to theft, hack, and other software-related issues. Electronic Frontier Foundation’s researchers uncovered a security bug that is designed to look like a social messaging application that steals data. This puts the entire smartphones and other devices at risk, and to find a solution is far more important now.

Any application that has the ability to steal data and other sensitive information is of great concern for security experts. This becomes more serious when the malware target devices like mobiles of eminent people like doctors, lawyers, and journalist and military personnel. Any data stolen from these professionals tend to fetch them good money. The information is stolen with the use the malware in the form of WhatsApp, or Signal.

Android devices are the main target for this malware and taking into account that Android is so popular in the world and the largest mobile OS, it is a matter of concern. The malware Dark Caracal imitates the functionality of a popular messaging application. The countries the malware made an impact in Germany, France, US, Canada, so we need not underestimate this virus. Since mobile is the most used device, it only comes handy for the criminals to target such devices.

The criminals behind this malware are said to be from Lebanon, according to security researchers. It is not clear if the Lebanese government is in the know, but as of now, nothing seems to be indicative of such thing. The application is not there in Google Play Store, they spread through third-party sites and was shared on social media through “ripped” apk files.

Interestingly, Dark Caracal is not a new kind of malware, because a simpler malware was discovered in 2012, but researchers couldn’t prove how it progressed. There have been many campaigns that have originated from the same domain, but somehow researchers missed to keep a track of it. So this literally makes it a worrying factor.

As of now, researchers are trying to find out if the Lebanese government has a hand in creating and distributing the malware. The data collected is likely to give them enough information. No targets are picked randomly, which in itself indicates that some state or nation must be involved.

It is recommended that you download an application from the official website of from Google Play Store, and ignore APK files.