Researchers at Group-IB have discovered a new NFC relay malware family, purpose-built to capture live card data via NFC and forward it in real time to attackers. They dubbed it “WindRelay.”
NFC (Near Field Communication) is wireless technology that allows devices such as smartphones, payment cards, and payment terminals to communicate when they’re very close together. So, instead of stealing your physical bank card, the attackers capture NFC activity on an infected mobile phone and relay it in real time to a criminal-controlled device held against a contactless payment terminal, or an ATM that supports contactless cash withdrawals.
The researchers describe a 13-minute call impersonating a bank, in which a victim was persuaded to install an Android app labelled with the bank’s name. That app was a remote access Trojan (RAT) called SpyNote. SpyNote gave the attacker remote control of the phone and enabled the quiet installation of a second app, WindRelay.
Read more…
Source: Malware Bytes Labs
Sign up for the Cyber Security Review Newsletter
The latest cyber security news and insights delivered right to your inbox
Related:
- Cyber threat against Danish banks ‘very high’: agency
September 1, 2018
The cyber threat against Denmark’s financial sector is considered to be very high, according to a report by the Centre for Cyber Security (Center for Cybersikkerhed). The centre, which is a department of military security agency FET (Forsvarets Efterretningstjeneste), assesses cyber threats against Denmark and Danish businesses. “The threat posed to the Danish financial sector by cyber ...
- Cobalt Group Targets Banks in Eastern Europe with Double-Threat Tactic
August 30, 2018
The campaign uses double infection points and two command-and-control servers. The infamous financial cybercrime gang known as Cobalt Group has been spotted actively pushing a fresh campaign that uses a peculiar tactic: Double infection points and two command-and-control (C2) servers. The Cobalt Group, a known financial cybercrime ring since 2016, has been suspected in attacks in dozens ...
- How hackers managed to steal $13.5 million in Cosmos bank heist
August 27, 2018
Earlier this month, reports surfaced which suggested that Cosmos Bank, India’s oldest at 112 years old, had become the victim of a cyberattack which left the institution millions out of pocket. The attack reportedly took place in two stages been August 10 – 13. According to the Hindustan Times, malware was used on the bank’s ATM server ...
- macOS users targeted by new Lazarus attack
August 23, 2018
If you’re into cryptocurrency trading, you might want to pay attention, because a new malware is making rounds that’s stealing people’s money from crypto exchanges. And no, macOS is not safe either, there’s a version for Apple’s operating system, as well. Kaspersky Lab’s researchers from the Global Research and Analysis Team (GReAT) announced they discovered malware dubbed AppleJeus. In ...
- AdvisorsBot Downloader Emerges in Raft of Malware Campaigns
August 23, 2018
A tricky downloader has hit the scene in a series of campaigns targeting restaurants, hotels and telecommunications companies. A new downloader was disclosed today, sporting significant anti-analysis features and increasingly sophisticated distribution techniques. Researchers at Proofpoint have been tracking the downloader as a first-stage payload in campaigns since May 2018. Dubbed AdvisorsBot (due to early command-and-control domains, ...
- T-Mobile Hacked — 2 Million Customers’ Personal Data Stolen
August 23, 2018
T-Mobile today confirmed that the telecom giant suffered a security breach on its US servers on August 20 that may have resulted in the leak of “some” personal information of up to 2 million T-Mobile customers. The leaked information includes customers’ name, billing zip code, phone number, email address, account number, and account type (prepaid or postpaid). However, the ...

