Android malware found that resets smartphones to factory settings

About the BRATA malware became known in 2019. But now the software has received new features that make it much more dangerous.

Cyber ​​Security Specialists at Cleafy declaredthat BRATA has learned to use various communication channels and track the location of a smartphone using GPS, take screenshots and record taps on the screen. But the worst news is that the malware cleans up all traces of its activities on the smartphone and then performs a factory reset.

The creators of BRATA aimed, first of all, at Internet banking customers. To hack and steal accounts, victims are supposedly contacted by bank support staff and tricked users into clicking on a link to malware.

Cases of theft of data and funds from bank accounts using BRATA have already been recorded in the UK, Poland, Italy, Spain, China and Latin America. Further distribution, including to Russia, is only a matter of time.

Cleafy notes that malware developers adapt the code for each country and even for specific banking applications. If the malware detects that they are trying to analyze it, it starts the self-destruction procedure.

To protect against BRATA, you should avoid installing applications from APKs downloaded from suspicious sites and avoid clicking on links in spam messages. You also need to carefully check what permissions this or that application requests, and in case of a call from the bank, hang up and call the hotline number indicated on your card.