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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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MantaxOtax Android Malware Combines Ransomware With Spyware
Zimperium analyzed MantaxOtax Android malware combining AES file encryption with extensive spying, linked to Indonesian actors and distributed via sideloading.
Zimperium's zLabs published a technical analysis of MantaxOtax, an Android malware family that combines ransomware-style file encryption with comprehensive spyware, linked to Indonesian threat actors and distributed via sideloaded APKs on a third-party file-sharing service. The malware requests device administrator, SMS, contacts, storage and Accessibility permissions, resolves its C2 domain dynamically from a GitHub repository, and encrypts files with AES using per-device keys derived from the Android ID on Android 9 and earlier. It steals WhatsApp messages, Telegram credentials, OTPs and other data, and uses MediaProjection for screenshots and screen recording staged on Catbox; a second variant adds WebSocket C2 with persistent screen locking and app blocking.
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