This Android Malware Is Back To Steal WhatsApp Backups: Here's How To Stay Safe

WhatsApp users using Android smartphones have one more security concern to deal with. Android malware GravityRAT is back and is now targeting the Meta Platforms Inc.-owned META WhatsApp's backup files from unsuspecting users' phones.

What Happened: An updated version of notorious Android malware GravityRAT is now out in the open, targeting unsuspecting users and stealing the WhatsApp backup files stored on their phones.

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GravityRAT is a trojan that first surfaced in 2015. According to Facebook researchers, a Pakistan-based group named SpaceCobra is suspected to be behind this malware. Since August 2022, it has been distributed via two other messaging applications: BingeChat and Chatico.

Why Is It Important: GravityRAT is a remote access trojan. As the name suggests, it provides remote access to hackers, allowing them to access and exfiltrate sensitive information like call logs, contacts, messages, locations, photos, videos, and even documents.

In this instance, GravityRAT extracts WhatsApp backup files and if they are not end-to-end encrypted, they can be easily extracted to get complete access to all the messages, photos, videos, documents, and other media items stored in the backup file.

How To Stay Safe: When it comes to staying safe from malware on Android, the best solution is not to sideload applications, especially those from non-reputable sources.

While Alphabet Inc.'s GOOGL Google has the Play Protect safety feature built into Android, it is not a full-proof solution, and users should download apps from the Play Store to remain safe.

Additionally, WhatsApp also has the option to enable end-to-end encryption on backups. This prevents even Google and WhatsApp from decoding what is stored in those backup files, so it adds a layer of protection.

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