Investigation Report: Android/BankBot-YNRK Mobile Banking Trojan

SUMMARY :

This report analyzes three Android APK samples identified as variants of the Android/BankBot-YNRK malware family. The malware exhibits sophisticated capabilities, including environment detection, persistence mechanisms, and extensive command-and-control functionalities. It abuses accessibility services to gain elevated privileges, automates UI interactions, and extracts sensitive data. The trojan can masquerade as legitimate apps, suppress audio notifications, and perform unauthorized operations on infected devices. It targets financial applications and cryptocurrency wallets, enabling credential theft and fraudulent transactions. The malware communicates with a C2 server, exchanging device information and receiving commands for remote control. Overall, Android/BankBot-YNRK represents a significant threat to Android users, particularly those using banking and cryptocurrency applications.

OPENCTI LABELS :

overlay attacks,banking trojan,android,cryptocurrency theft,android/bankbot-ynrk


AI COMMENTARY :

1. Introduction to Android/BankBot-YNRK

This investigation report delves into the Android/BankBot-YNRK mobile banking trojan, a sophisticated threat that has emerged in multiple APK variants. By masquerading as legitimate Android applications, this banking trojan leverages overlay attacks and unauthorized operations to evade detection and trick users into divulging sensitive information. Android users, particularly those interacting with banking platforms or cryptocurrency wallets, must remain vigilant, as the malware exploits advanced techniques to gain and maintain control over infected devices.

2. Malware Capabilities and Behavior

The Android/BankBot-YNRK family exhibits environment detection mechanisms to identify when it is running in a sandbox or analysis environment. Once it confirms a real device, the trojan employs persistence strategies, such as registering as a device administrator or abusing system services, to survive reboots and attempts at uninstallation. The malware’s command-and-control (C2) functionalities allow it to download additional modules or updates, ensuring its capabilities can expand over time. This flexibility makes the banking trojan a continuously evolving threat.

3. Abuse of Accessibility Services

One of the most dangerous aspects of Android/BankBot-YNRK is its abuse of Android’s accessibility services. By requesting elevated privileges, the trojan automates user interface interactions, performing operations that would otherwise require manual input. This includes capturing screen content, intercepting taps, and overlaying fake login forms on top of legitimate banking or cryptocurrency wallet applications. These overlay attacks are designed to harvest credentials seamlessly, without triggering suspicion. Additionally, the malware suppresses audio notifications to prevent users from noticing suspicious activity.

4. Targeted Applications and Threat Impact

The primary targets of Android/BankBot-YNRK are financial applications and cryptocurrency wallets. Once installed, the trojan systematically extracts login credentials and other sensitive data. In some variants, it can initiate unauthorized fund transfers or cryptocurrency transactions directly from the compromised account. Credential theft often leads to identity theft or unauthorized transactions, causing financial losses for victims. The combination of banking trojan features with cryptocurrency theft capabilities makes this threat especially potent for users who manage digital assets on mobile devices.

5. Communication and Command-and-Control Infrastructure

Android/BankBot-YNRK communicates with a remote C2 server to exchange device information and receive instructions. The data transmitted typically includes device identifiers, geolocation, installed banking apps, and stolen credentials. In return, the C2 server can issue commands to perform a wide range of malicious actions, such as updating the malware, deploying new overlays, or wiping device data. This bi-directional communication channel is often encrypted or obfuscated to avoid network-based detection and analysis, enabling the threat actor to maintain long-term control over infected hosts.

6. Defensive Measures and Conclusion

Mitigating the risk posed by Android/BankBot-YNRK requires a multi-layered approach. Users should only install applications from trusted sources, review app permissions carefully, and disable unnecessary accessibility services. Mobile security solutions with behavior-based detection can identify suspicious overlay activity and block unauthorized UI automation. Financial institutions and wallet providers should implement multi-factor authentication and transaction anomaly detection to limit the impact of stolen credentials. As this banking trojan continues to evolve, staying informed about its techniques and enhancing defensive measures is essential to protect Android users from financial and cryptocurrency theft.


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Investigation Report: Android/BankBot-YNRK Mobile Banking Trojan