Friday, May 2, 2025
Homecyber securityNew Sophisticated Android Ransomware that Doesn't Encrypt Files but Blocks Access to...

New Sophisticated Android Ransomware that Doesn’t Encrypt Files but Blocks Access to Devices

Published on

SIEM as a Service

Follow Us on Google News

Microsoft detected new Android ransomware with new attack techniques and behavior that indicates the evolution of mobile ransomware.

As we aware ransomware uses to encrypt files, but this new ransomware doesn’t encrypt files, instead, it blocks access to devices by displaying a warning screen.

Sophisticated new Android malware

Android ransomware uses a special permission “SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW” to display the ransom note on top of other application and it can be dismissed by clicking any button.

- Advertisement - Google News

This permission is to notify the user’s system alerts or errors, but the Android threat misused it to gain access over the display.

The new Android ransomware variant uses “call” notification Android to gain immediate user attention and uses the onUserLeaveHint() callback function whenever the malware screen is pushed to the background, causing the in-call Activity to be automatically brought to the foreground.

“This ransomware is the latest variant of a malware family that has undergone several stages of evolution. We expect it to churn out new variants with even more sophisticated techniques,” reads Microsoft analysis.

The malware is highly obfuscated, it has no code corresponding to the services declared in the manifest file: Main Activity, Broadcast Receivers, and Background.

According to Microsoft analysis, the code is heavily obfuscated and made unreadable through name mangling and uses an interesting decryption routine, in that decryption function does not correspond to the decrypted value, they correspond to junk code to simply hinder analysis.

“This new mobile ransomware variant is an important discovery because the malware exhibits behaviors that have not been seen before and could open doors for other malware to follow,”

“The discovery reinforces the need for comprehensive defense powered by broad visibility into attack surfaces as well as domain experts who track the threat landscape and uncover notable threats that might be hiding amidst massive threat data and signals.”

You can follow us on LinkedinTwitterFacebook for daily Cybersecurity and hacking news updates.

Also Read:

Hackers Spread Android Malware Via Coronavirus Safety App & Gain Contacts Access to Infect All of Them via SMS

Cookiethief – Android Malware that Gains Root Access to Steal Browser & Facebook App Cookies

Google Play Store Flooding with Spyware, Banking Trojan, Adware Via Games, and Utility Apps

Gurubaran
Gurubaran
Gurubaran is a co-founder of Cyber Security News and GBHackers On Security. He has 10+ years of experience as a Security Consultant, Editor, and Analyst in cybersecurity, technology, and communications.

Latest articles

Managing Shadow IT Risks – CISO’s Practical Toolkit

Managing Shadow IT risks has become a critical challenge for Chief Information Security Officers...

Application Security in 2025 – CISO’s Priority Guide

Application security in 2025 has become a defining concern for every Chief Information Security...

Preparing for Quantum Cybersecurity Risks – CISO Insights

Quantum cybersecurity risks represent a paradigm shift in cybersecurity, demanding immediate attention from Chief...

Securing Digital Transformation – CISO’s Resource Hub

In today’s hyper-connected world, securing digital transformation is a technological upgrade and a fundamental...

Resilience at Scale

Why Application Security is Non-Negotiable

The resilience of your digital infrastructure directly impacts your ability to scale. And yet, application security remains a critical weak link for most organizations.

Application Security is no longer just a defensive play—it’s the cornerstone of cyber resilience and sustainable growth. In this webinar, Karthik Krishnamoorthy (CTO of Indusface) and Phani Deepak Akella (VP of Marketing – Indusface), will share how AI-powered application security can help organizations build resilience by

Discussion points


Protecting at internet scale using AI and behavioral-based DDoS & bot mitigation.
Autonomously discovering external assets and remediating vulnerabilities within 72 hours, enabling secure, confident scaling.
Ensuring 100% application availability through platforms architected for failure resilience.
Eliminating silos with real-time correlation between attack surface and active threats for rapid, accurate mitigation

More like this

Netgear EX6200 Flaw Enables Remote Access and Data Theft

Security researchers have disclosed three critical vulnerabilities in the Netgear EX6200 Wi-Fi range extender...

Tesla Model 3 VCSEC Vulnerability Lets Hackers Run Arbitrary Code

A high security flaw in Tesla’s Model 3 vehicles, disclosed at the 2025 Pwn2Own...

Apache ActiveMQ Vulnerability Lets Remote Hackers Execute Arbitrary Code

A high vulnerability in Apache ActiveMQ’s .NET Message Service (NMS) library has been uncovered,...