Modified Version of WhatsApp for Android Spotted Installing Triada Trojan
Aug 24, 2021
A modified version of the WhatsApp messaging app for Android has been trojanized to intercept text messages, serve malicious payloads, display full-screen ads, and sign up device owners for unwanted premium subscriptions without their knowledge. "The Trojan Triada snuck into one of these modified versions of the messenger called FMWhatsApp 16.80.0 together with the advertising software development kit (SDK)," researchers from Russian cybersecurity firm Kaspersky said in a technical write-up published Tuesday. "This is similar to what happened with APKPure , where the only malicious code that was embedded in the app was a payload downloader." Modified versions of legitimate Android apps — a practice called Modding — are designed to perform functions not originally conceived or intended by the app developers. FMWhatsApp, billed as a custom build of WhatsApp, allows users to refashion the app with different themes, personalize icons, and hide features like last ...
