On October 29, security research company ThreatFabric released a blog detailing a new Android Trojan virus named Herodotus. It leverages accessibility features to intercept key security verification factors, such as SMS verification codes, and can also simulate human password input habits to silently log into online banking apps and steal users' funds.
This Trojan utilizes Android’s accessibility features to intercept 2FA SMS messages received by users. Attackers can remotely send a fake online banking login interface to the victim’s phone, silently steal the victim’s online banking password, and even remotely manipulate the banking app to perform fraudulent actions such as transferring money.
What sets this Trojan apart is its unique "human-like operation layer." When waking up the virtual keyboard to type, it intentionally introduces random delays of 0.3 to 3 seconds between each letter/number input and simulates human errors such as accidental touches, clicks, and swipes. This misleads the fraud detection system into believing the input is from a real person, rather than a script or robot.
In comparison, traditional Trojans are often more “blunt,” pasting or typing the password very quickly, which is usually caught by fraud detection systems. However, Herodotus’s human-like input method greatly increases the difficulty for detection, as its typing rhythm is hard for the system to identify.
Currently, this Trojan has been spreading in countries like Italy and Brazil. Fraudsters typically send the download link to victims via phishing SMS and guide them to enable accessibility features, after which they quietly steal funds from the victims' bank accounts.
ThreatFabric warns that if fraud detection systems rely only on typing speed or rhythm, they may fail to recognize this new Trojan. Fortunately, the Trojan is still in its early stages, and if industry professionals can strengthen risk control systems quickly, it can be effectively eradicated before it spreads further.
The above content is compiled by ModeZone, a fashion and entertainment magazine.
