Android Malware Delivered Through Malicious PDF Attachments Collects Phone Numbers

A new campaign that delivers malicious PDF file that leads to download the file malicious APK file to the user’s device.

Quick heal security researchers observed malicious PDF files sent to users as an attachement through phishing emails and attachements are des9igned in the way that tempts the users to open it.

The PDF file contains a hyperlink added which downloads the malicious APK file on the user’s devices and further downloads . At the time of Quick heal analysis the links are not active.

Malicious APK file uses a different icon than from the genuine Adobe reader and the malicious application uses sensitive permissions like reading contacts, SMS, call logs contradict along with adobe functionality.

If the user opens the application then it shows the Adobe Acrobat installation screen to the user and the user believes they are installing the Acrobat APK, but when the user clicks on install updates button it hides the icon and to start the malicious process background.

The malware checks whether the phone is rooted or non-rooted phone, the malware contains spyware capabilities that includes tracking of SMS notification and collects SMS numbers and send to servers.

Also, it collects the longitude and latitude information and the call status then send back to the servers controlled by attackers.

The malware can also have the capability to read contacts, read browser bookmarks, key-logging and to kill background processes.

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