Hackers Embed Facestealer Malware in a Cartoon App

Any parent who has discovered a stack of IAP (in-app purchases) charges on their account can tell you that kids and apps can be a deadly combo. Therefore, hackers, this time planned to attack through a cartoon app. The pleasant-sounding Craftsart Cartoon Photo Tools app was published on the Play Store, and while it promised harmless fun, it was revealed to be hiding a Facebook credential-stealing Android virus called Facestealer.

According to Pradeo, a French cybersecurity firm, the app had been downloaded over 100,000 times before Google deleted it from the Play Store on March 22. It probably passed inspection in the first place because it looked and functioned like legitimate photo editing applications— but it had dangerous functionality hidden in a small piece of code that was easily overlooked. Once Craftsart Cartoon Photo Tools (archived link) was installed on the victim’s phone, it would ask for their Facebook login details.

Hackers Embed Facestealer Malware in a Cartoon App

Users who are careless may submit their information only to have it sent back to a Russian server, providing the Android app’s owners access to Facebook accounts along with any crucial information related to their profiles, such as credit or debit card details, which many users have linked to their FB profiles.

However, despite a large number of downloads, it appears that the software didn’t perform well enough to conceal its major flaws. Prior to its removal, reviewers slammed it with one-star reviews, warning that it was fraudulent, hardly functional, or didn’t work at all.

Read Also: Dangerous Android Apps That Need To Be Deleted

If you have the app, uninstall it right away and update your Facebook password. Consider performing a full factory reset on your phone as well, and be cautious: hiding malware and spyware behind apparently innocent-looking apps is becoming increasingly widespread, and identifying the apps responsible for these attacks isn’t always easy.

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