The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned the public of a malicious app called Fast Cleaner, which steals users’ banking app login credentials on Android devices.
The warning was issued by Ikechukwu Adinde, NCC director of public affairs, in a statement posted on the commission’s website on Saturday.
According to Adinde, the NCC Computer Security Incident Response Team (CSIRT) discovered the Fast Cleaner app which claims to be a phone booster and battery saver tool but actually contains a malware named ‘Xenomorph.
He stated that Xenomorph is propagated by an application that was slipped into the Google Play store and masquerading as a legitimate application called “Fast Cleaner” ostensibly meant to clear junk, increase device speed and optimize battery but in reality, this app is only a means by which the Xenomorph Trojan could be propagated easily and efficiently.
The statement also read that following the installation on a victim’s device, Xenomorph can harvest device information and Short Messaging Service (SMS), intercept notifications and new SMS messages, perform overlay attacks, and prevent users from uninstalling it. The threat also asks for Accessibility Services privileges, which allow it to grant itself further permissions.
Also, the CSIRT said the malware also steals victims’ banking credentials by overlaying fake login pages on top of legitimate ones.
Considering that it can also intercept messages and notifications, it allows its operators to bypass SMS-based two-factor authentication and log into the victims’ accounts without alerting them.
According to a security advisory from the NCC CSIRT, the malware has a high impact and high vulnerability rate.
He said that the Fast Cleaner app has now been removed from the Play Store but not before it got 50,000+ downloads.
The NCC advised telecom consumers to use trusted antivirus solutions and update them regularly to their latest definitions.
The commission also asked consumers and other stakeholders to always update banking applications to their most recent versions.
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