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New Android malware encrypts files, steals data, and harasses victims
Zimperium details Mantax Otax, an Android malware combining ransomware, spyware, and harassment, spread via phishing APKs to Indonesian users.
Zimperium researchers report Mantax Otax is distributed through malicious APKs hosted outside Google Play via phishing and social engineering, then abuses Accessibility permissions for broad device control. It encrypts files with a C2-provided AES key on Android 9 and older, adds '.enc' extensions, and hosts ransom chats on Firebase; researchers exposed attacker chats via a Firebase misconfiguration. The malware steals lock-screen PINs, SMS one-time codes, contacts, WhatsApp and Telegram chats, and captures screens via MediaProjection, while version 2 adds jumpscare overlays and text-to-speech harassment. Google Play Protect already detects and blocks it on up-to-date devices via the App Defense Alliance.
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Chrome's anti-abuse protections block 7 billion unwanted Android notifications daily
Google Chrome now auto-revokes web push notification permissions, blocking over 7 billion unwanted and abusive notifications daily on Android.
Google announced anti-abuse measures in Chrome that automatically revoke notification permissions for inactive websites and sites Safe Browsing flags for abusive or deceptive notification practices, with users able to restore permissions via Safety Hub. The protections combine Chrome Security, Firebase Cloud Messaging, and Safe Browsing behavioral detection of coordinated abusive networks, and blocked more than 7 billion unwanted notifications per day on Android in Q1. Google also limits abusive domains to 1,000 push messages per minute via FCM and redesigned Android prompts with one-tap unsubscribe.
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Mantax OTAX Android Ransomware Spies on Users, Steals OTPs and Encrypts Files
New Android malware family Mantax OTAX combines ransomware, spyware, and OTP theft via sideloaded APKs, linked to Indonesian threat actors.
Researchers at zLabs and Zimperium analyzed Mantax OTAX, an aggressive Android malware strain distributed as sideloaded APKs through phishing and messaging lures on third-party file-sharing services. The malware requests device-administrator and Accessibility permissions to steal lock-screen PINs, intercept SMS one-time passwords, harvest contacts and history, capture screens via MediaProjection, and silently photograph victims, while encrypting files with AES and writing .enc files on Android 9 and older. Its C2 uses HTTPS at apimantax[.]otax[.]fun with the active domain fetched dynamically from a GitHub repository, and a newer version adds WebSocket communication, app blocking, video overlays, and text-to-speech harassment. A Firebase misconfiguration exposed extortion conversations and victim data, and Android 10+ Scoped Storage limits the encryption reach but not the surveillance capabilities.
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