Hamas-linked spyware targeting Palestinians removed from Google Play store
A hacking group which analysts believe is linked to Hamas successfully placed highly targeted surveillanceware in the Google Play Store in order to spy on Palestinian targets, according to new research from the mobile security firm Lookout. The newly identified malware, known as Desert Scorpion, was deployed against over 100 individuals of interest in Palestine. A similar 2017 campaign from the same “highly active” group, dubbed APT-C-23. The group has been linked to Hamas’s political rivals as well as government employees, security services and university students. Desert Scorpion has been tied to a 2017 campaign, known as Frozen Cell, by reuse of the same social media profiles to promote the malware as well as infrastructure using similar IP blocks. APT-C-23 has been active since at least 2015 when U.S. cybersecurity firms Palo Alto Networks and ThreatConnect identified a campaign by the group targeting the United States, Israel, Palestinian Territories and Egypt. The malware allows its users to steal data from […]
The post Hamas-linked spyware targeting Palestinians removed from Google Play store appeared first on Cyberscoop.
Continue reading Hamas-linked spyware targeting Palestinians removed from Google Play store