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Gigabud Creates Android Work Profiles to Hide From Banking App Malware Checks

The Hacker News ()5 min read3 · 2 reads
AI summary · glm-5.3-flashSummaries by Vani AI

Group-IB reports the Gigabud Android banking trojan uses a cloned work profile to hide from banking app malware checks, with infections confirmed in Indonesia.

Group-IB says Gigabud installs a helper app called Vwork, derived from the open-source Shelter tool, which creates an Android work profile and drops a tampered banking app inside it, hiding the trojan from banking apps' malware scans. Gigabud, active since 2022 and linked by Group-IB to the GoldFactory group, abuses Accessibility access and overlay screens to steal credentials and run fraudulent payments while a black screen conceals the operator's actions. Group-IB confirmed the full attack chain on infected devices in Indonesia, counting about 1,469 compromised devices and estimated losses of roughly $960,000 between February and July 2026. Vwork-compatible Gigabud samples have been found targeting 11 countries including Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Thailand, and Türkiye, though only the Indonesian chain is confirmed.

Key facts
  • Vwork, a Shelter-derived helper, creates a work profile hosting a fake banking app invisible to malware scans
  • Gigabud gains device control via Accessibility access and overlays fake login screens to steal credentials
  • About 1,469 compromised devices and ~$960,000 in losses observed in Indonesia, Feb-Jul 2026
  • Samples found targeting 11 countries; only the Indonesian infection chain is confirmed
  • Banks advised to watch for unexplained work profiles and unnecessary Accessibility grants
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From the original article

5 min read at thehackernews.com

The Gigabud banking trojan now installs a second Android app that creates a work profile on an infected phone and drops a tampered banking app inside it, security firm Group-IB said in a report published on September 9. A work profile is a separate space that Android typically reserves for employer apps, and what's inside it is kept separate from everything in the personal space. That

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