Beware of ToxicPanda, the new Android virus that is spreading rapidly
Unfortunately, it is common for cybercriminals to try to trick us with all sorts of tricks. Today we have to warn you about a new and dangerous malware that is spreading in many countries, pretending to be a very popular Android application.
We’re talking about ToxicPanda, a malware that disguises itself as Google Chrome and banking apps to trick users. According to the threat intelligence team at cybersecurity firm Cleafy , more than 1,500 devices have already been infected with this dangerous malware.
As Kleve explained, this virus that emerged in China is attacking different countries, with the infection rate rising in countries such as Italy (56.8%), followed by Portugal (18.7%), Hong Kong (4.6%), Spain (3.9%) and Peru (3.4%).
A financial Trojan that pretends to be a well-known application to trick the user. Of course, at the beginning, it is worth noting that ToxicPanda spreads only through APK files. Or what is the same: do not even think about downloading APK files or applications from third-party stores. If Google Play sometimes contains malware (the App Store also gets it), then you can hardly imagine a third-party store.
The moment a user installs the malicious app, since ToxicPanda hides under the guise of Google Chrome or popular banking apps, cyber attackers will be able to take full control of the device remotely.
In short, it disguises itself as Chrome or your banking app, but it is malware that wants to steal your bank account.
Keep in mind that ToxicPanda will record all the keystrokes you make, so if you access a bank, it will get your credentials and steal all your money in it.
As you can see, it is serious. Considering that the ToxicPanda malware is still active, we recommend taking extreme precautions. To do this, never download any application outside the Google Play Store, and as long as it is a verified application and from a known developer, because even in the Google Play Store we can find malware.