Between March and September 2026, the Mirax malware infected thousands of Android devices in the META region, causing millions in estimated financial losses. Distributed via malicious ads in low-reputation streaming apps on Google Play, Mirax impersonates Google Play Services using Cyrillic characters and tricks victims into granting Accessibility Service permissions, enabling full device takeover. It uses server-side configuration with dual-WebSocket command-and-control infrastructure and DNS-over-HTTPS. The malware dynamically pushes phishing templates targeting over 20 regional banks and digital wallets. Attackers remotely control infected devices in real time to perform unauthorized transactions that appear legitimate, with stolen funds transferred to suspected mule accounts in India. The campaign peaked during Eid holidays and remains active.
Three VBScript-based malware campaigns target victims primarily in Brazil and Portugal via phishing emails using fake legal and financial documents. These campaigns deliver Overlord RAT, Lampion trojan, and an unknown RAT through multi-stage execution chains involving obfuscated VBScript, batch files, and DLL side-loading with legitimate Windows components. The malware establishes persistence via scheduled tasks and registry modifications, evades detection by adding exclusions to Windows Defender and checking for virtual environments, and uses cloud services for payload delivery. Command and control infrastructure is based in Brazil.
Variola is a modular Windows malware implant linked to a ClickFix intrusion, designed for persistent host identity and secure command-and-control communications. It supports dynamic loading of modules for credential theft, browser manipulation, and session hijacking, with capabilities typical of banking trojans such as Chromium browser injection and VNC-style remote access. The implant uses strong cryptographic methods for communication security and shows active development with multiple builds found in a public GitHub repository. No patch or remediation information is provided, and no known exploits in the wild have been reported.
Casbaneiro is a banking Trojan active as of August 2026, targeting Latin American users through phishing emails and malicious PDFs disguised as invoices and legal notices. It uses a multi-stage infection chain with HTA downloaders and AutoIt loaders, employing geofencing to restrict infections to specific regions. The malware evades detection by distributing stolen data across multiple servers, deliberately responding with HTTP 403 to some requests, and activating only when victims visit targeted banking websites. It steals email data, performs clipboard injection, and creates fake windows to facilitate fraud. The campaign targets Argentina, Peru, Colombia, and Mexico, while avoiding systems using German, French, or English languages.
StreamRat is an Android banking trojan distributed via Meta and TikTok ads disguised as a free TV-streaming app targeting Spanish-speaking users, mainly in Spain. It uses a two-stage installation with a dropper that disables internet connectivity through fake VPN connections. After installation, it abuses Accessibility Services and the MediaProjection API to grant attackers near-complete control over the device, including VNC remote control, hidden screen manipulation, keylogging, credential-stealing overlays, UI data collection, and screen blocking. The malware operates as a Malware-as-a-Service with a multi-role control panel and WebSocket-based command and control communications. The campaign potentially affected around 570,000 users. No official patch or remediation guidance is currently available.
A newly identified Android malware family named Manic combines banking malware and mobile spyware capabilities, targeting Ukrainian banks, government services, messaging applications, Russian and European financial institutions, and global fintech and cryptocurrency services. Active since February 2026, Manic enables extensive Device Takeover operations through sophisticated surveillance and remote-control features. It employs advanced PIN stealing techniques without requiring traditional overlay attacks, utilizing Accessibility services as a UI keylogger to capture lock-screen inputs, recovery phrases, and authentication codes. A distinctive feature is its Wi-Fi mesh egress technique, allowing compromised devices to relay stolen data through other infected phones via Wi-Fi Direct, Bluetooth, or BLE when direct C2 access is unavailable. The malware monitors 169 applications including banks, cryptocurrency wallets, government eID services, and military-focused messengers across multiple countries.
Grandoreiro, a notorious banking trojan active since 2016 across Latin America, continues operations despite major law enforcement disruption in 2024. Recent campaigns leverage DLL sideloading techniques, abusing the legitimate Duplicate Files Finder application to execute malicious code. The loader incorporates extensive anti-analysis mechanisms including sandbox detection, virtual machine artifact checks, process blacklisting, and environment profiling to evade automated analysis systems. These defensive checks occur before C2 contact, indicating high priority on avoiding detection. Telemetry from June 2026 shows activity concentrated in Latin America, primarily Mexico, with limited presence in Europe and North America. The malware uses custom string obfuscation combining proprietary decryption with Base64 encoding, and communicates with C2 infrastructure over TCP port 6432 using encrypted requests containing host-specific information.
In June 2026, a previously undocumented Android fraud bot called Octagon was identified, sold as malware-as-a-service by Russian-speaking actor AndroidKitKat for $1,400 monthly. The malware employs accessibility overlays, hidden VNC, SMS interception, unlock-pattern capture, and balance reading capabilities to target cryptocurrency wallets, exchanges, and banking applications. Distributed through sideloaded APKs with Restricted Settings bypass, Octagon connects infected devices to a Windows command-and-control panel where operators monitor applications, read screens, and control devices remotely. The malware maintains persistence through multiple mechanisms while appearing benign to security scans. Three APK samples were recovered, including deployments using Lifted Dreams game and Bahrain government lures. The malware captures credentials through HTML WebView overlays targeting Trust Wallet, Binance, MEXC, MetaMask, and messaging apps like Telegram and WhatsApp, enabling cryptocurrency theft and account t...
An active Lampion malware campaign has been identified targeting Portuguese users through phishing emails that impersonate financial and administrative communications. Lampion, a Brazilian banking malware derived from the ChePro lineage, delivers initial payloads via ZIP archives containing heavily obfuscated HTML files designed to evade detection. The HTML stage retrieves additional scripts from attacker-controlled infrastructure, initiating a multistage VBS infection chain. Each stage employs extensive obfuscation techniques including junk code, encrypted strings, and dynamically generated scripts that inflate file sizes while concealing core functionality. The infection chain is deliberately fragmented across multiple independent execution stages, complicating behavioral analysis. Telemetry shows 94.6% of detections concentrated in Portugal, confirming this is a highly targeted threat focused on Portuguese-speaking victims.
A malicious campaign was detected impersonating an Italian banking brand through a fraudulent domain offering fake financial rewards for installing a mobile application. Users are redirected to a Telegram bot that distributes a malicious Android APK outside official app stores. The APK functions as a dropper containing an embedded second-stage payload identified as Albiriox, an Android banking Remote Access Trojan. This payload exploits Accessibility services, implements overlay attacks, intercepts SMS messages, captures credentials, and enables remote device control through a custom TCP-based command-and-control protocol. The infrastructure uses domain impersonation and social engineering with financial incentives to distribute the malware. Communication occurs via raw TCP sockets to endpoints on ports 5555 and 5552, with JSON messages framed using big-endian length prefixes. Attribution to Albiriox is supported by protocol similarities, behavioral patterns, and comparison with known Albiriox samples.
In May 2026, an attack campaign targeting banking users in Spain and Portugal was identified involving the Ousaban banking Trojan. The malware, previously active in Brazil, spreads through phishing PDFs that redirect victims to malicious webpages performing environment checks to ensure targets are located in Spain or Portugal. The attack chain involves VBS scripts downloading steganographic images containing the payload, which is then dropped and executed on victims' systems. Ousaban establishes persistence, monitors banking activity across multiple financial institutions, and uses daily-changing DDNS domains to resolve C2 server addresses. The malware employs screenshot capture, keylogging, clipboard injection, and remote control capabilities to steal banking credentials. It utilizes custom encryption algorithms and geofencing techniques to evade detection and limit exposure to intended targets.
In March 2026, threat actors leveraged AI-powered website builders to create typosquatting domains impersonating a Brazilian bank. The campaign employed ClickFix techniques, presenting victims with fake CAPTCHA and BSOD screens to trick them into executing malicious PowerShell commands. This delivered SmartRAT, a PowerShell-based banking trojan with capabilities including encrypted C2 communications, remote control of screen/keyboard/mouse, credential theft through keylogging and banking overlays, and QR code interception for transaction fraud. The malware establishes persistence via scheduled tasks and Windows services, and targets Brazilian financial institutions, payment platforms, and cryptocurrency exchanges. The threat actors' C2 panel contained critical authentication flaws allowing client-side bypass, suggesting deployment without adequate security review.
A sophisticated fraud campaign exploiting Indonesia's tax season targeted 67 million residents through fake Coretax applications distributed via phishing websites and WhatsApp social engineering. The GoldFactory threat cluster orchestrated operations using Gigabud.RAT and MMRat malware families with shared infrastructure abusing over 16 trusted brands across government and financial sectors. The attack chain combines vishing, screen recording, and remote access capabilities to achieve device compromise and unauthorized financial transfers. Estimated financial impact reaches USD 1.5-2 million nationwide, with global implications extending to USD 6 million annually across multiple countries. The industrialized malware-as-a-service infrastructure enables horizontal scaling across Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, and South Africa, demonstrating a shift toward unified cross-border operations that systematically undermine trust in digital government services.
A new variant of the TrickMo Android banking trojan was identified between January and February 2026, representing a substantial platform redesign rather than new capabilities. The malware has migrated its command-and-control infrastructure entirely onto The Open Network (TON) using .adnl endpoints, moving away from conventional internet infrastructure. Active campaigns have targeted banking and wallet users in France, Italy, and Austria. Once accessibility permissions are granted, operators gain real-time device control including credential phishing, keylogging, screen recording, SMS interception, and bidirectional remote control. New features include network reconnaissance capabilities and SSH tunnelling that transform infected devices into programmable network pivots and SOCKS5 proxy exit nodes, enabling operators to bypass IP-based fraud detection systems while accessing victim networks.
Mirax is a newly identified Android Remote Access Trojan operating as Malware-as-a-Service, actively targeting European users, particularly in Spanish-speaking regions. Distributed through Meta advertisements and GitHub-hosted droppers, the malware has reached over 200,000 accounts. It employs sophisticated techniques including dynamically fetched HTML overlays, comprehensive keylogging, and remote device control capabilities. A distinctive feature is its integration of SOCKS5-based residential proxy functionality, transforming infected devices into proxy nodes that enable attackers to route traffic through legitimate residential IP addresses. This capability allows operators to bypass geolocation restrictions and evade fraud detection systems while conducting account takeovers and transaction fraud. The malware uses commercial-grade obfuscation through Golden Encryption and establishes persistence through Accessibility Service abuse.
BlueVoyant researchers have uncovered a broad, multi-pronged phishing campaign targeting Spanish-speaking users in organizations across Latin America and now Europe as well. While recent industry intelligence heavily documented attacks utilizing WhatsApp to deliver banking trojans under the umbrella of the Brazil-based eCrime group Augmented Marauder (a.k.a. Water Saci)
This report details the discovery and analysis of a Horabot malware campaign targeting primarily Mexican users. The attack chain begins with a fake CAPTCHA page leading to multiple stages of obfuscated scripts, ultimately delivering an AutoIT loader and a Delphi-based banking Trojan. The malware employs sophisticated encryption techniques, anti-VM checks, and a custom protocol for C2 communication. It also includes a spreader component written in PowerShell that harvests and exfiltrates email addresses to distribute phishing emails. The analysis reveals Brazilian Portuguese comments in the code, suggesting the threat actor's origin. The report provides detection opportunities including YARA rules and hunting queries to identify this threat.
GoPix is an advanced persistent threat targeting Brazilian financial institutions and cryptocurrency users. It uses memory-only implants and obfuscated PowerShell scripts, evolving from previous RAT and ATS threats. The malware employs sophisticated techniques, including malvertising via Google Ads, man-in-the-middle attacks, and monitoring of Pix transactions and Boleto slips. GoPix bypasses security measures, maintains persistence, and uses robust cleanup mechanisms. It leverages multiple obfuscation layers and a stolen code signing certificate to evade detection. The threat actors carefully select victims, including financial bodies of state governments and large corporations, using legitimate anti-fraud services for targeted delivery.
BeatBanker is a sophisticated Android malware campaign targeting Brazil. It spreads through phishing attacks using a fake Google Play Store website. The malware combines a cryptocurrency miner and a banking Trojan capable of hijacking devices and overlaying screens. It employs creative persistence mechanisms, including playing an inaudible audio loop. BeatBanker monitors device status, disguises itself as legitimate apps, and targets cryptocurrency transactions on Binance and Trust Wallet. Recent variants have replaced the banking module with the BTMOB remote administration tool, expanding its capabilities. The threat demonstrates advanced evasion techniques, uses Firebase Cloud Messaging for command and control, and targets multiple browsers for data collection. Victims are primarily located in Brazil, with some samples spreading via WhatsApp.
A new Android banking Trojan named Massiv has been discovered, posing a significant threat to mobile banking users. This malware allows remote control of infected devices and enables Device Takeover attacks, leading to fraudulent transactions from victims' accounts. Massiv is distributed through side-loading, often masquerading as IPTV applications. It features overlay functionality, keylogging, and SMS/Push message interception to steal sensitive data. The malware has targeted government applications and digital identity wallets, particularly in Portugal. Massiv supports screen streaming and UI-tree modes for remote control, bypassing screen capture protections. The trend of malware masquerading as IPTV apps is increasing, exploiting users' willingness to install from unofficial sources.
