Since June 2024, trojanized apps that pose as Telegram and WhatsApp and feature cryptocurrency clipper capability have been seen pre-installed on low-cost Android handsets made by Chinese enterprises.
Although the practice of stealing financial information through malware-laced apps is not new, recent research from Russian antivirus provider Doctor Web indicates a sharp increase in the number of threat actors preloading new devices with malicious apps by directly targeting the supply chains of different Chinese manufacturers.
According to the firm, fraudulent programs were found directly in the phone’s pre-installed software. In this instance, the WhatsApp messenger was modified to include the malicious code.
Most of the affected handsets are reportedly low-end phones that imitate popular high-end models read more about Chinese Android Phones Shipped with Fake WhatsApp Telegram Apps Targeting Crypto Users.
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