- Hackers have developed a new virus
- The NGate virus steals card data from the NFC chip
- Czechs using Android are mainly at risk
Hackers have developed a new virus that attacks Android phones, illustration | photo: Pixabay
Malicious hackers continue to threaten smartphones in new ways. Now they have developed a completely new type of virus that can copy your payment card stored in your mobile phone. The bad news is that they are targeting the Czech Republic with Android.
Hackers steal cards via the NFC chip
NGate virus according to the website BleepingComputer infects phones with the Android operating system and copies data from the NFC chip. This is used for card payments over the phone. It then sends the obtained data to hackers, who create a copy of the payment card and can use it to pay or withdraw cash.
ESET at the same time informsthat the virus mainly targets clients of several Czech banks. These are, for example, Česká spořitelna or ČSOB. To spread the virus, the attackers used text messages and robocalls to trick victims into clicking on what appeared to be an official site Google Play with a banking application.
The NGate virus uses an NFC chip, which is used when paying with a card over the phone
The Police of the Czech Republic is looking for the attackers
Subsequently, the virus asked to enter sensitive data, including the PIN code, as well as to turn on the NFC chip. The attackers then had everything they needed to use the card and withdraw money from the ATM. A specific group is said to be behind these attacks, which the Police of the Czech Republic is already looking for.
According to Martin Jirkal, head of the analytical team at ESET, reliable protection is checking the addresses of websites that someone sends us and downloading applications only from official stores. In this particular case, turning off the NFC chip when we don’t need to use it would also work well.
Source: mobilizujeme.cz
