NCC ALERTS TELECOMS USERS ON A NEW VIRUS CALLED FLOTUS

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has called on all Nigerian telecommunication users to be aware of what it described as; “A new, high-risk and extremely damaging virus, called Flubot.” 

The NCC says this new virus is circulated through text messages and unverified links. This has the capacity to “Disrupt, damage or gain unauthorized access to a computer system.” The Nigeria Computer Emergency Response Team (ngCERT), has also warned that Flubot basically targets Androids devices.

Users are adviced that Flubot has the tendency to infiltrate and impersonate Android mobile devices and basically hack into sensitive applications like banks and social media accounts. Suffice to say that Nigerians should protect their devices via Anti-Virus Aplications. 

This malware attacks Android devices by pretending to be known brands like: “FedEx, DHL, Correos, and Chrome Applications” and compels unsuspecting users to alter the accessibility configurations on their devices in order to maintain continuous presence on devices. 

The new malware undermines the security of devices by copying fake login screens of prominent banks, and the moment the users enter their login details on the fake pages, their data is harvested and transmitted to the malware operators’ control point from where the data is exploited by intercepting banking-related One Time Passwords (OTPs) and replacing the default SMS app on the targeted Android device. 

Consequently, it secures admittance into the device through SMS and proceeds to transmit similar messages to other contacts that may be on the device it has attacked enticing them into downloading the fake app. 

When Flubot infects a device, it can result in incalculable financial losses. Additionally, the malware creates a backdoor which grants access to the user’s device, thus enabling the invader or attacker to perform other criminal actions, including launching other variants of malware. 

The Commission pledged its commitment to efforts to ensure increased broadband access, enabling telecoms consumers to carry out their legitimate activities in a more effective and efficient way.

Credit: Eons Intelligence