Kaspersky Lab discovered a dangerous Trojan horse in YoWhatsApp, an unofficial version of the popular WhatsApp messaging app. The trojan in question is called ‘Triada’, an old familiar in cyber security circles that has been used in other malicious programs.
Application mods like Meta, which dominates the world’s messaging solutions, are an effective way to distribute malware capitalize on the interest and popularity of software used by hundreds of millions of users. It’s a constant. Cybercriminals exploit any application, service or event with massive impact.
YoWhatsApp offers users the ability to block chats, send messages to unsaved numbers, and customize the app with various theme options. It also shares code and features with other modified WhatsApp clients such as FMWhatsApp and HeyMods.
The thing is, it comes with a very dangerous “little gift”. Russian security company Kaspersky has warned of the presence of the Triad Trojan in version 2.22.11.75 of YoWhatsApp. This app, which is usually spread through scam ads on Snaptube and Vidmate, asks victims to grant it permission to access SMS messages, which already allows the Trojan to write them. paid subscription without your knowledge.
Additionally, once installed, the Trojan will try to steal WhatsApp passwords and if it does, it will allow the attacker to access chat messages and impersonate the victim send unsolicited mail (spam) and commit financial fraud. In addition to losing control of your account, it would be very easy to spread this or other malware among your contacts.
The development comes after Meta filed a lawsuit against Chinese and Taiwanese developers for distributing unofficial WhatsApp apps, including HeyMods, which ended up compromising half a million accounts. More than a year ago, the Triada malware was also discovered in a similar mod, FMWhatsApp.
“Cybercriminals are increasingly harnessing the power of legitimate software to distribute malicious applications”Kaspersky researchers have come to the conclusion that they warn against these mods (some very attractive for extending the functionality of the original software), but which should be handled with extreme caution.
