Fake CoronaTracker app for Android ships with malicious Banker, Spyware and RAT capabilities
SonicWall Capture Labs Threat Research team has been monitoring potential malicious apps using the CoronaVirus/Covid-19 theme. We have published a number of blog posts on this topic in the past few days. We identified another Android malware using the CoronaVirus theme, this malware comes with a multitude of capabilities, which include Remote Access Trojan (RAT) spyware that targets banking app
The malware goes by the Turkish name “Corona Takip”, which when translated in English means Corona Follow. This malware poses as a Covid19 Tracker app for mobile devices by copying the icon used by Corona Tracker. Corona Tracker is a web application that tracks the latest development of Coronavirus. The source is hosted on Github.
On installation and execution, to the victim the app appears to open a mobile version of the site shown above:
But in the background the malware starts its nefarious activities.
Network Communication
Once executed, the malware communicates with the Command and Control (C&C) server aymyapi.com. It uses POST to send encoded information to two php pages a14.php and a4.php:
Within the code we observed a number of .php pages, but during our analysis we did not encounter further communication:
Configuration File
Upon execution a configuration file set.xml is saved locally in shared_prefs folder:
Remote Access Trojan (RAT) functionality
This malware contains capabilities of a RAT, it can allow the attacker to issue commands and control the infected device remotely. We found the following commands present in the code:
- downloadfile
- deletefilefolder
- opendir
- startscreenVNC
- stopscreenVNC
- **noconnection**
Hardcoded Commands
A number of commands are present in configuration file set.xml (highlighted earlier) and can be traced back to the code:
Few dangerous commands present in both the code and config file are listed below. These commands have the capability to spy and extract critical personally identifiable information from the infected device:
- keylogger
- gps
- spamSMS
- VNC_Start_New
- startRecordingSound
- htmllocker
One of the commands is textPlayProtect and the value against it is “The system is not working properly, please disable Google Play Protect!”. We found traces in the code where the malware contains alerts about the user trying to enable Play Protect as well as alert when Play Protect is disabled:
There are additional alert messages when critical actions are performed:
Targeted banking apps
This malware keeps track of more than 100 apps and has capabilities to display fake screen to steal credentials. Majority of the apps are banking apps; overall they fall in the following categories:
- Shopping
- Banking
- Crypto
- Stock Trading
Miscellaneous observations
We observed alert messages in multiple languages indicating the malware writers aspire to spread this threat in different parts of the world. We spotted the following country codes:
- United States (US)
- Russia (RU)
- Turkish (TR)
- German (DE)
- Italy (IT)
- France (FR)
- Ukraine (UA)
We observed hardcoded link for the coronatracker website, this can be replaced by a different website to change the theme of the malware:
The C&C domain contacted by the malware – aymyapi.com – was registered recently according to its Whois information:
- Created: 2020-03-17 15:44:59 UTC
- Expiration: 2021-03-17 15:44:59 UTC
This indicates that this version of the malware was created recently to capitalize on the rising global awareness about CoronaVirus. Another example of malware writers trying to further their malicious creations using the popularity of the CoronaVirus pandemic.
Overall, this is another instance illustrating an Android malware disguised as a CoronaVirus related app. As described in our previous blogs, malware writers are misusing the panic state caused by the pandemic to further their malicious goals.
SonicWall Capture Labs provides protection against this threat with the following signatures:
- GAV: AndroidOS.CoronaTracker.BNK (Trojan)
- GAV: AndroidOS.CoronaTracker.TU (Trojan)
Indicator of Compromise(IOC):
- b7070a1fa932fe1cc8198e89e3a799f3
List of targets:
- es.cm.android
- es.cm.android.tablet
- apps.com.app.utils
- com.DijitalSahne.EnYakinHalkbank
- com.Plus500
- com.SifrebazCep
- com.akbank.android.apps.akbank_direkt
- com.akbank.android.apps.akbank_direkt_tablet
- com.akbank.android.apps.akbank_direkt_tablet_20
- com.akbank.softotp
- com.albarakaapp
- com.albarakaapp
- com.amazon.mShop.android.shopping
- com.android.chrome
- com.android.settings
- com.android.system
- com.android.systemui
- com.android.vending
- com.bankia.wallet
- com.bestbuy.android
- com.binance.dev
- com.binance.odapplications
- com.bitcoin.ss.zebpayindia
- com.bitfinex.bfxapp
- com.bitmarket.trader
- com.blockfolio.blockfolio
- com.btcturk
- com.coin.profit
- com.coinbase.android
- com.coins.bit.local
- com.coins.ful.bit
- com.crypter.cryptocyrrency
- com.db.mm.norisbank
- com.db.pwcc.dbmobile
- com.denizbank.mobildeniz
- com.ebay.mobile
- com.edsoftapps.mycoinsvalue
- com.finansbank.mobile.cepsube
- com.fragment.akbank
- com.garanti.cepbank
- com.garanti.cepsubesi
- com.garantibank.cepsubesiro
- com.garantiyatirim.fx
- com.twitter.android
- com.ing.mobile
- com.ingbanktr.ingmobil
- com.jackpf.blockchainsearch
- com.jamalabbasii1998.localbitcoin
- com.kryptokit.jaxx
- com.kuveytturk.mobil
- com.localbitcoins.exchange
- com.localbitcoinsmbapp
- com.magiclick.FinansPOS
- com.magiclick.odeabank
- com.mal.saul.coinmarketcap
- com.matriksdata.finansyatirim
- com.matriksdata.ziraatyatirim.pad
- com.matriksmobile.android.ziraatTrader
- com.mobillium.papara
- com.moneybookers.skrillpayments
- com.moneybookers.skrillpayments.neteller
- com.monitise.isbankmoscow
- com.mycelium.wallet
- com.paypal.android.p2pmobile
- com.paypal.android.p2pmobile
- com.plunien.poloniex
- com.portfolio.coinbase_tracker
- com.pozitron.albarakaturk
- com.pozitron.albarakaturk
- com.pozitron.iscep
- com.pozitron.vakifbank
- com.redrockdigimark
- com.softtech.isbankasi
- com.softtech.iscek
- com.targo_prod.bad
- com.teb
- com.thunkable.android.manirana54.LocalBitCoins_unblock
- com.tmobtech.halkbank
- com.tnx.apps.coinportfolio
- com.unocoin.unocoinmerchantPoS
- com.unocoin.unocoinwallet
- com.vakifbank.mobile
- com.veripark.ykbaz
- com.vipera.ts.starter.QNB
- com.vkontakte.android
- com.ykb.android
- com.ykb.android.mobilonay
- com.ykb.androidtablet
- com.ykb.avm
- com.yurtdisi.iscep
- com.ziraat.ziraatmobil
- com.ziraat.ziraatmobil
- com.ziraat.ziraattablet
- tr.com.hsbc.hsbcturkey
- tr.com.sekerbilisim.mbank
- tr.com.tradesoft.tradingsystem.gtpmobile.halk
- wos.com.zebpay
- mobile.santander.de
- finansbank.enpara
- finansbank.enpara.sirketim
- tr.com.hsbc.hsbcturkey
- tr.com.sekerbilisim.mbank
- tr.gov.turkiye.edevlet.kapisi
- eu.unicreditgroup.hvbapptan
- io.getdelta.android
- de.schildbach.wallet
- piuk.blockchain.android
- info.blockchain.merchant
- zebpay.Application
- xmr.org.freewallet.app
