A “Two Months Free Netflix Subscription” Made People Install This App Which Basically Opens A Door For The Android Malware To Go Through Your Privacy.
In this Covid-19 situation , Netflix marked a subscription of 200 million mark because mostly we had or have nothing to do. We just lie around all day and binge watch movies or series. This triggered the malware operators to create an application that looks exactly like Netflix.
This application is nothing but a hoax which promises “unlimited entertainment” and two months of a free subscription in Netflix. The name of the application is ‘FlixOnline’.
How Does This Virus Enter Your Smartphone?
Once you download this application, the malware slides into your phone or hacks your phone and listens to every WhatsApp conversations or calls or video calls. Due to the malware in your phone, all your incoming messages start getting auto-response which includes malicious content.
Upon installation, the application will ask for multiple permissions which is not at all uncommon when someone wants to play with your trust right?
Android Apps (Credit unsplash)
They ask permission to get access to your Battery Optimization Ignore, it results in stopping the phone from automatically shutting down software to save power. Not just that, FlixOnline also requests notification access which gives the malware a gateway to notifications related to WhatsApp communication, as well as the power to ‘dismiss’ or ‘reply’ to messages.
What Does This Android Malware Include In The Auto-Responses?
The auto-response to your WhatsApp messages will include, “2 Months of Netflix Premium Free at no cost For REASON OF QUARANTINE (CORONA VIRUS)* Get 2 Months of Netflix Premium Free anywhere in the world for 60 days. Get it now HERE https:// bit[.]ly/3bDmzUw.”
This way the malware promotes itself with more malicious links. They steal private conversation data and is also capable of spreading rumors or harmful content.
This is possible only in Android so Apple users can stay relieved. Before the malware was detected, there have been approximately 500 victims who fell into the trap of the android malware. It is said that over a period of two months this virus might return. For now the application has been removed from Play Store. WhatsApp was also informed through campaign.
