New MasterFred malware targets Netflix, Instagram and Twitter users

A new malware for Android, MasterFred, uses phishing overlays that simulate logins to steal bank card information from Netflix, Instagram and Twitter users.

The first MasterFred sample was uploaded to VirusTotal in June 2021, according to Bleeping Computer. Also, malware analyst Alberto Segura shared a second sample of malware a week ago, saying that it was used against users from Poland and Turkey.

Currently, experts from Avast Threat Labs have studied the new malware, discovering that the banker is abusing the Accessibility service APIs to display malicious overlays and tricking victims into entering their bank card details.

While abuse of the Accessibility service is a common behavior for Android malware, MasterFred has a number of distinctive features. For example, malicious applications used to deliver malware to devices include HTML overlays used to display fake login forms and collect financial information about victims.

In addition, the malware uses the Onion.ws gateway (also known as the Tor2Web proxy) to deliver stolen information to Tor servers controlled by hackers.

Since at least one of the malicious apps with MasterFred on board was available in the Google Play Store (it has now been removed), the researchers are confident that the banker is spreading through third-party app stores.

Indicators of compromise for MasterFred, including hashes and C&C server domains, have already been posted on Twitter by Avast Threat Labs.

Let me remind you that I also wrote that BloodyStealer malware hijacks Steam, Epic Games Store and EA Origin accounts.