Suspected state-sponsored hackers have intensified their attempts to break into the online accounts of Iranian rights activists in recent weeks by exploiting security vulnerabilities in Android smartphones, the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran has learned.
On August 11, 2016 an unknown person sent a message on Facebook to a prominent Iranian political activist living in Paris and introduced himself as a former student. The hacker said he had created political stickers with the activist’s photo on them. He then sent a file, with an APK suffix, to the activist claiming that the file contained the stickers.
Soon after the activist opened what was really a malware file, the hacker took over the victim’s Facebook page and sent similar messages to the activist’s friends, some of whom worked at Radio Farda, Deutsche Welle and the BBC. One of the victim’s friends fell for the trap and lost access to his Gmail account for several hours.
Files with the APK suffix are applications that can be installed on smartphones with Android operating systems. Users should only open these files after downloading them from reputable sources, such as Google Play. Unlike Apple’s iOS operating system, Android apps can be independently developed and installed, presenting an opportunity for hackers to prey on unsuspecting users and spy on them. For the full article click here
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