Your credentials are at risk

Identify a new virus capable of stealing Facebook credentials. Malware has affected thousands of users without their knowledge, find out how.

Mobile cybersecurity company Zimperium recently identified a virus that infected more than 300,000 profiles. A virus in particular is a Trojan horse, that is, a malicious program that is able to convince the user that it is any program or application, but once it is installed on the device, it takes full control of it.

Identified by the cybersecurity firm, the Trojan targets Android devices and has the task of stealing the login credentials of victims’ Facebook profiles. Zimperium called the malware “Schoolyard Bully Trojan” and it seems the virus has been around for quite some time, i.e. since 2018, hiding among Google Play apps, even in other small app stores.

However, Google has announced that it has removed the malware from the store, but Ziperium reports that it still lurks on other sites under other names. Let’s see together how to avoid accidentally downloading it and how this sophisticated malware works.

Trojan horse and viruses

As the name suggests, i Trojan malware It is inspired by the Trojan Horse legend. hidden inside a Free software, email attachment, video game, or app. The victim, once the content is downloaded, will not notice that their device is infected, because The virus does not show itself with messages or notifications.

Malware programming like this allows the hacker to perform many functions. Trojan horses are capable of Turn the computer into some kind of zombie to put botnets onSystems that hackers use to launch attacks on devices anywhere in the world.

These systems are capable of performing Any activity your device can do, from reading messages to activating the camera or microphone. Even law enforcement agencies use this malware to track criminals.

Unlike other types of viruses, Trojan horses They cannot spread on their ownThey need someone to download them. However, they managed to spread by implementing subtle camouflage tactics, leading users to download them thinking they are harmless apps, as happened with School Bully Trojan.

Trojan was hiding Beyond educational applications (hence the name). downloaded application It asked users to enter their Facebook credentials to sign up. Once the credentials were stolen, the malware continued collecting data on the device.

Cybersecurity company Zimperium has posted all the information on its website, allowing users to detect the presence of malware such as the Schoolyard Bully Trojan.