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Deng](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/qi-deng/) * [Royce Lu](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/royce-lu/) * [Daiping Liu](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/author/daiping-liu/) * ![Published Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-calendar-grey.svg) Published:January 12, 2024 * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-category.svg) Categories: * [Cybercrime](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/cybercrime/) * [High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) * [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/malware/) * ![Tags Icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-tags-grey.svg) Tags: * [Android APK](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/android-apk/) * [APK](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/apk/) * 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network traffic](https://www.virusbulletin.com/conference/vb2023/abstracts/silent-whispers-malware-unveiling-hidden-threats-legitimate-network-traffic/), activity generated by a certain type of Android Package Kit (APK) files kept hitting our radar. This activity led us to conduct an in-depth investigation on the associated APK files. Our research revealed a family of malicious APKs targeting Chinese users that steals victim information and conducts financial fraud. To do this, the threat actor masquerades as a law enforcement official and says the target's phone number or bank account is suspected of being involved in financial fraud. They then guide the person to download an app that will allow the attacker to investigate their bank transactions. The threat actor then instructs the person to select their bank from the app and fill in their personal information, including payment card details. At this point, the attackers can drain the bank account of whatever funds are available. Palo Alto Networks customers are better protected from this malicious APK through our [Next-Generation Firewall](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/next-generation-firewall) with [Cloud-Delivered Security Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/security-subscriptions), including [Advanced WildFire](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/advanced-wildfire), [DNS Security](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/dns-security) and [Advanced URL Filtering](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/advanced-url-filtering). If you think you might have been compromised or have an urgent matter, contact the [Unit 42 Incident Response team](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/contact-unit42.html). | **Related Unit 42 Topics** | [**APK**](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/android-apk/), **[Finance](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/finance/), [SMS](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/sms/)** | |----------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| ## Campaign Overview We found indicators of the malicious APK activity we'll discuss in this post as early as November 2022. Following several months of dormancy, the malware delivery attempts surged with a peak value of 717 in September 2023. Figure 1 presents the trend of delivery attempts from November 2022 through November 2023. ![Image 1 is a graph of APK malware delivery attempts from November 2022 through November 2023. Through November 2022 to July 2023 there are less than 200 attacks. This rises sharply in July and the peak is in September 2023 with 717 attempts.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/word-image-131900-1-4.png) Figure 1. APK malware delivery attempts from November 2022 through November 2023. ## Malware Analysis ### Malware Installation Our analysis of the malicious APK samples reveals victims must have retrieved them from non-official third-party sources, due to the non-compliance of the APK with [official Google Play Store submission policies](https://play.google.com/about/developer-content-policy). We believe threat actors likely delivered these APK samples through social engineering, similar to the methods described by the following sources from China: * [Tencent QQ: May 6, 2021 "Don't install this kind of 'safety protection' app. Someone was defrauded of 1.4 million without realizing it."](https://new.qq.com/rain/a/20210506A00ZLG00) * [Helong City Public Security Bureau: June 8, 2021 "New fraud method, 'security protection' themed Android application pretends to be a police app"](https://www.thepaper.cn/newsDetail_forward_13049550) * [Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau: Police Tips, Aug. 12, 2021 "Don't Install This App!"](https://gaj.sh.gov.cn/shga/wzXxfbGj/detail?pa=f41aa3d5accbfad14fcbf784730c1c7f0c16683653e0ed4cd2628e1697198469c1105d04bd3ab12a54c817f30b0a532ef89cd8d0bb43e938) The threat actors used this Android application to impersonate law enforcement authorities. They claimed that the victim's bank account was suspected of being involved in money laundering or other financial-related crimes. They then sent the victim a download link to this application package, urging the victim to input their sensitive personal information into the malicious application. ### Malware Behavior The malicious Android application would be installed on the victim's device with the name "安全防护" (translated from Mandarin as "Security Protection"). Upon execution, the application requests the following permissions for the capability to make phone calls and receive SMS text messages: * android.permission.CALL\_PHONE * android.permission\_RECEIVE\_SMS The android.permission.CALL\_PHONE permission allows the app to disconnect incoming phone calls, and the android.permission\_RECEIVE\_SMS permission allows the app to block SMS messages received by the Android device. To control or block phone calls and SMS messages, the application would typically need to be set as the device's default phone/SMS application handler. A request to change this setting is depicted in the screenshot in Figure 2 below. ![Image 2 is an Android mobile phone screenshot. A popup notification in both English and Chinese characters asks the user to set a malicious application as the default SMS app.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/word-image-131900-2-4.png) Figure 2. Malware request for the victim to set the malicious app as the default SMS application handler of the Android device. By blocking incoming phone calls and SMS messages, victims are not able to receive alerts about financial fraud from others or from legitimate law enforcement. ### How the Threat Actor Conducts Financial Fraud First, the threat actor masquerades as an official law enforcement authority and alleges the victim's phone number or bank account is suspected of being involved in financial fraud. To convince people the app is legitimate, the threat actor provides a legal case number, and they ask the person to search for this case number in the malicious application. The threat actor will also generate a fake legal case document with the intended victim's name on it. As depicted in Figure 3, the malicious application requests the legal case number and the person's sensitive personal information. ![Image 3 is an Android mobile phone screenshot. The malicious application asks for sensitive personal information. The characters are in Chinese.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/word-image-131900-3-4.png) Figure 3. Malware requests the person's sensitive personal information. Once a target fully believes the app is from a genuine law enforcement authority, the threat actor guides the person to download the next-stage payload. The app accomplishes this by sending a download link, under the pretext of investigating bank transactions and the source of deposited funds. The APK malware sample supports selection from a variety of banking institutions (Figure 4). Once selected, the threat actors instruct victims to fill in their sensitive personal information, including payment card details. ![Image 4 is an Android mobile phone screenshot. The malicious application asks for sensitive personal information. The characters are in Chinese.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/word-image-131900-4-4.png) Figure 4. Malware supports selection from a variety of banking institutions. Since the application can block incoming phone calls and SMS messages, these financial institutions cannot contact the victims through their Android device, which makes it more likely that victims will be trapped in the scam. ### Network Traffic Features Our WildFire sandbox captures, detects and prevents this specific malware family, better protecting our customers from such a threat. In particular, the dynamic analysis logs contain traces of outgoing HTTP network connections to remote endpoints (namely, log\[.\]tbs\[.\]qq\[.\]com and 52\[.\]221\[.\]181\[.\]208, which were generated by [one of the APK samples](https://www.virustotal.com/gui/file/2cf117abf5ced6d37e98068d1961b85f400ecede4c11ebd69cc5cc9629aaaacd)). The following are the sample URLs we have logged: * hxxp://log\[.\]tbs\[.\]qq\[.\]com/ajax?c=dl\&k=27d9e98adf5322f7ed5d3ba399165d4f * hxxp://52\[.\]221\[.\]181\[.\]208/api/GetCmd\[.\]aspx * hxxp://52\[.\]221\[.\]181\[.\]208/api/getconfig\[.\]aspx * hxxp://52\[.\]221\[.\]181\[.\]208/resource/260707\[.\]jpg ## Advanced Malware Traffic Detection Since the domain (log\[.\]tbs\[.\]qq\[.\]com) used by the malicious APK files during their execution is legitimate, definitively identifying isolated connections as malicious becomes challenging. Therefore we propose that multiple connections to such IP addresses and domains within a brief time frame can serve as a possible indicator of command and control (C2) traffic. This behavior strongly suggests malicious network traffic activity rather than legitimate network traffic. To enhance our detection capabilities, we leverage these attacking network endpoints to generate advanced signatures for detecting malware activities. Our signatures incorporate multiple network entities, enabling us to effectively identify and mitigate malware communication sessions that might otherwise evade detection based solely on single-entity analysis. ## Conclusion Attackers take advantage of an information gap and the victim's fear of being embroiled in legal action, coupled with carefully designed social engineering attacks, to reap significant illegal profits. To defend against the threat, we highly recommend that people do not download third-party applications from untrusted mobile application stores and do not share sensitive information with unknown sources. Palo Alto Networks customers are better protected from malware discussed in this article through products like our [Next-Generation Firewall](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/next-generation-firewall) with [Cloud-Delivered Security Services](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/security-subscriptions) that include [Advanced WildFire](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/advanced-wildfire), [Advanced Threat Prevention](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/advanced-threat-prevention) and [Advanced URL Filtering](https://www.paloaltonetworks.com/network-security/advanced-url-filtering). If you think you might have been compromised or have an urgent matter, contact the [Unit 42 Incident Response team](https://start.paloaltonetworks.com/contact-unit42.html) or call: * North America Toll-Free: 866.486.4842 (866.4.UNIT42) * EMEA: +31.20.299.3130 * APAC: +65.6983.8730 * Japan: +81.50.1790.0200 Palo Alto Networks has shared our findings with our fellow Cyber Threat Alliance (CTA) members. CTA members use this intelligence to rapidly deploy protections to their customers and to systematically disrupt malicious cyber actors. Learn more about the [Cyber Threat Alliance](https://www.cyberthreatalliance.org/). ## Indicators of Compromise ### Malicious APK Samples * 2cf117abf5ced6d37e98068d1961b85f400ecede4c11ebd69cc5cc9629aaaacd * 6e43d2d4f14b26a75b9094eb1bd509b0f63e069a3c97867bfb0ac6c2a154dcd6 * b0ad0de29f9c64e696212121e5e716b99668906d6531804fd6e5a55d95c9bd1f * bf4a214782d6a3ce14fb37af919b4803d3013cc5774b2782290e33985bebd01b * d342c40f126a150cd93da083c237cda7d9fc739a2050a819573b5fb4a3a67026 ### Infrastructure * 13\[.\]250\[.\]172\[.\]152 * 18\[.\]143\[.\]192\[.\]34 * 18\[.\]166\[.\]72\[.\]58 * 52\[.\]221\[.\]181\[.\]208 ## References * [Silent whispers of malware: unveiling hidden threats in legitimate network traffic](https://www.virusbulletin.com/conference/vb2023/abstracts/silent-whispers-malware-unveiling-hidden-threats-legitimate-network-traffic/) -- Unit 42, Palo Alto Networks Back to top ### Tags * [Android APK](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/android-apk/ "Android APK") * [APK](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/apk/ "APK") * [Finance](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/finance/ "Finance") * [SMS](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/sms/ "SMS") [Threat Research Center](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com "Threat Research") [Next: Medusa Ransomware Turning Your Files into Stone](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/medusa-ransomware-escalation-new-leak-site/ "Medusa Ransomware Turning Your Files into Stone") ### Table of Contents * ### Related Articles * [Kimwolf v7: An Evolution of the Kimwolf Botnet](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/kimwolf-v7-botnet-malware/ "article - table of contents") * [Threat Brief: Escalation of Cyber Risk Related to Iran (Updated April 17)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/iranian-cyberattacks-2026/ "article - table of contents") * [The Smishing Deluge: China-Based Campaign Flooding Global Text Messages](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/global-smishing-campaign/ "article - table of contents") ## Related Resources ![Pictorial representation of a magnifying glass illuminating a glowing orange circular digital circuit interface on a dark, high-tech background.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/04_Myth-Busting_Overview_1920x900-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/Insights-icon-white.svg)Insights](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/insights/) September 16, 2026 [#### Atomic macOS (AMOS) Stealer Activity](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/atomic-macos-amos-stealer-activity/) * [MacOS](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/macos/ "macOS") * [Threat intelligence](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/threat-intelligence/ "threat intelligence") * [Unit 42](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/unit-42/ "Unit 42") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/atomic-macos-amos-stealer-activity/ "Atomic macOS (AMOS) Stealer Activity") ![Pictorial representation of post-exploitation identity misuse in SPIFFE/SPIRE. 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A digital image of a skull formed by blue binary code on a black background, with scattered ones and zeros and digital noise, symbolizes how stealthy prompt injection attacks can exploit AI logic to bypass security controls.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/01_Malware_Category_1920x900-5-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 31, 2026 [#### Spring Ring: An Inside Look at Voice Phishing Campaigns in Microsoft Teams](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/spring-ring-voice-phishing-campaigns/) * [Cloaked Ursa](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/cloaked-ursa/ "Cloaked Ursa") * [Entra ID](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/entra-id/ "Entra ID") * [Microsoft Teams](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/microsoft-teams/ "Microsoft Teams") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/spring-ring-voice-phishing-campaigns/ "Spring Ring: An Inside Look at Voice Phishing Campaigns in Microsoft Teams") ![Pictorial representation of AI-enabled malware. A vibrant digital interface displaying various icons and graphs, resembling a futuristic network or data analysis dashboard. The scene is illuminated with glowing lights and patterns.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/AdobeStock_1270203474-2-1-786x368.png) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 25, 2026 [#### The State of AI-Enabled Malware August 2026: From Brand Abuse to Agentic Execution](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-enabled-malware-analysis/) * [Backdoor](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/backdoor/ "backdoor") * [Bitcoin](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/bitcoin/ "Bitcoin") * [DLL hijacking](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/dll-hijacking/ "DLL hijacking") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/ai-enabled-malware-analysis/ "The State of AI-Enabled Malware August 2026: From Brand Abuse to Agentic Execution") ![Pictorial representation of identity abuse through trusted communication channels. Close-up view of a digital screen displaying a glitched and pixelated image of a skull-like shape.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/02_Malware_Category_1920x900-2-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 20, 2026 [#### Identity Abuse Through Trusted Communication Channels](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/communication-channel-identity-risks/) * [Authentication](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/authentication/ "authentication") * [Identity theft](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/identity-theft/ "identity theft") * [Malware](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/malware/ "malware") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/communication-channel-identity-risks/ "Identity Abuse Through Trusted Communication Channels") ![Pictorial representation of Kimwolf botnet malware family. Digital screen with a warning sign reading "Malware." The background features lines of computer code and graphics, creating a sense of cybersecurity threat.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/07_Malware_Category_1920x900-3-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 11, 2026 [#### Kimwolf v7: An Evolution of the Kimwolf Botnet](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/kimwolf-v7-botnet-malware/) * [Android APK](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/android-apk/ "Android APK") * [Ethereum](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/ethereum/ "Ethereum") * [HTTP](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/http/ "HTTP") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/kimwolf-v7-botnet-malware/ "Kimwolf v7: An Evolution of the Kimwolf Botnet") ![Pictorial representatiom pf Aeternum's blockchain C2. A close-up of a computer circuit board with a central microchip is depicted. Red digital data streams in the form of glowing binary numbers and arrows appear to flow in and out of the chip. The scene is illuminated with a futuristic blue and red glow.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/04_Malware_Category_1920x900-4-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/icon-threat-research.svg)Threat Research](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/threat-research/) August 10, 2026 [#### The Permanent Threat: Analyzing Aeternum's Blockchain-Based C2 Operations and Communications](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/aeternum-blockchain-c2-analysis/) * [Aeternum](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/aeternum/ "Aeternum") * [Infection chain](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/infection-chain/ "infection chain") * [JSON](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/json/ "JSON") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/aeternum-blockchain-c2-analysis/ "The Permanent Threat: Analyzing Aeternum’s Blockchain-Based C2 Operations and Communications") ![Pictorial representation of ChainDrop, a self-propagating npm worm. An artistic depiction of a digital workspace featuring an open laptop with a red virus on the screen.](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/03_Malware_Category_1920x900-7-786x368.jpg) [![category icon](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/top-threats.svg)High Profile Threats](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/category/top-cyberthreats/) August 6, 2026 [#### ChainDrop: Inside a Self-Propagating npm Worm](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/chaindrop-npm-worm-analysis/) * [Blockchain](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/blockchain/ "blockchain") * [ChainDrop](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/chaindrop/ "ChainDrop") * [Claude code](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/tag/claude-code/ "Claude code") [Read now ![Right arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/icon-right-arrow-withtail.svg)](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/chaindrop-npm-worm-analysis/ "ChainDrop: Inside a Self-Propagating npm Worm") * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) * ![Slider arrow](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/slider-arrow-left.svg) ![Close button](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/icons/close-modal.svg) ![Enlarged Image]() ![Newsletter](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/unit42-footer-subscribe-desktop.png) ![UNIT 42 Small Logo](https://unit42.paloaltonetworks.com/wp-content/themes/unit42-v6/dist/images/palo-alto-logo-small.svg) Get updates from Unit 42 ## Peace of mind comes from staying ahead of threats. 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