Milan- Cyber experts have alerted Android users about a hidden threat in their phones which can steal their information without their knowledge.
The experts have detected a banking trojan named “Phones Pick Pirate” that is difficult for ordinary users to detect.
Experts from the Cliffy ITAR had first flagged the threat last month where they observed this trojan targeting Latin American banks.
Usually smartphone users identify harmful apps from the icons present on the home screen but Phones Pick Pirate does not use any app icons. Therefore this hidden trojan operates undetected in Android phones.
In a separate investigation conducted by the security firm Trustier, researchers revealed that this new version of Phones Pick Pirate utilizes two different platforms to work together and steal information from devices.
The first platform acts as a downloader which users inadvertently install through fake messages received via WhatsApp or text. After installation, this downloader requests permissions from users and then installs another app containing the banking malware.
Phones Pick Pirate possesses capabilities that allow hackers to conduct financial transactions without the phone owner’s knowledge or permission.
