After the dispute with the Russian government that led to the blocking of use for many users, the problems continue for Telegram, the popular alternative instant messaging application to WhatsApp. Now the hackers have targeted the version Android of Telegram with a new virus.
ESET cybersecurity researchers found that theTelegram's Android application was tampered with by a group of cyber criminals through a new malware called HeroRat. The virus, according to cyber security experts, has been inside the app's source code for at least a year but has been very difficult to spot because disguises itself perfectly as a chatbot, one of the many present within Telegram. The malware is quite sophisticated and once it self-installs it gets administrator rights on the device, and that means can do what he wants on our smartphone: install new viruses or spy on us 24/27 and thus steal all our private information.
How the new Telegram virus spreads
HeroRat it is not available on the Google Play Store but can be downloaded on various sites dedicated to the Telegram application, on the unofficial Android Store and also via links on the main social media. However, the virus has also been inserted by hackers into other applications, especially those related to the purchase of Bitcoin, to the paid packages of new followers on Instagram and Facebook or on programs that promise to discover the passwords of the Wi-FIs to connect to.
HeroRat currently works on any version of Android even on the newer Oreo 8.1. Noticing the threat is not easy. If by chance we install one of the malicious applications that contain HeroRat on the device, an error message will appear warning us that the app has been uninstalled due to incompatibility with our device. Actually at this point, even if not visible, the malicious code of the malware has already started act covertly on our phone. At the moment the virus has affected Telegram users mainly in Iran and the Middle East but potentially all Android users are at risk.
How to defend yourself from the HeroRat virus
In case of HeroRat infection on our smartphone we must install a latest generation computer security software that is able to detect the threat with a thorough scan of our device. In order not to have to resort to these repairs, however, the advice is to never install applications outside the Google Play Store. Especially when we browse social media do not trust the applications that are presented to us as downloadable through a simple link. Often these are nothing more than an online scam or worse, malware.
HeroRat, the Android malware that spreads on Telegram
